In the Name of Love
by Rain4evah
Summary: Cavin is to be a knight at last, but then he and the gummies has to deal with an evil force that is threatening Dunwyn. Character death, not very bad, realistic/psycological issues, war descriptions, some violence, political themes, OC, Cavin/Calla.
1. Return

_I warn, it's not just pleasure. It's going to be a bit melancolic and realistic. But joy and happyness too, i can asure. _

_And maybe I'll add something extra if I feel it's missing, but please write and comment what you think. _

* * *

A lone man was walking through the forest that noon. He was humming a silent, merry melody to himself with a distant look on his face, like he was lost in thoughts. He had a bag over his shoulder. His cape was dancing around his feet as he walked.

He took a turn directly into the forest with certain steps. He had been in this forest for years from his very childhood and knew it all over. He knew exactly where to go, and he walked with certain steps.

As he came to an open field, he stopped and had a look around. The Great Tree that marked Gummi Glen. It was just like he remembered it before he left. A deer was drinking in the pond, but when he entered, it caught the sight of him and fled.

He smiled to himself as he looked at his own reflection in the water, and then up at the tree. It was at a day like this he had seen them the first time, the gummi bears. Just seeing them had been a dream coming true for him and changed his life forever. Things had never been the same for him ever since.

He chuckled as he walked closer and touched the trunk. A hundred questions raced through his head. Would those entrances be too small for him now? Would he get stuck if he tried one of them? He knelt down at the roots.

Would they even recognize him after so long? It had after all been a couple of years, and he knew that he had changed his looks a lot in short time. He wondered if he had changed much in person too.

Maybe they had changed too.

He suddenly lost his smile. Just being here made him realize how much he had missed them. Why had he waited so long? He couldn't really answer his own question; he wondered that himself.

Two months after the war was over he had spent at home. He had hesitated to come back to Dunwyn, and for some reason he believed it was because of them. But why? He couldn't figure out!

It was the message from the King that had made him go. The messenger had told him that when he was wanted at the Castle by the King; he wanted to knight him. He had been surprised of how difficult it had been to go. He was to become a knight, wasn't that what he had dreamed, longed for in years?

Why then would he wait?

The sound of voices woke him up from his thoughts and back to reality. He looked up and listened, and smiled when he recognized the voice.

It was Gruffi. No doubt it was. He was grumbling, angry or irritated at something.

Typically.

He snickered. Man was it good to hear his voice again.

He heard another voice too answering Gruffi that he recognized as Tummi's. It was just a low mumbling compared to Gruffi, but hearable. If only Gruffi had known how loud he could be sometimes. No wonder he had discovered them as easy as he had. That stupid medallion had done the trick. He took a grip on it where it was hanging around his neck. If only he had known how much it would change his life.

Cavin rose and started to walk in the direction they were coming from, wondering what they would say when they saw him.

Only one way to figure out.

* * *

"Gruffi, couldn't we pleeease do this after lunch?" Tummi plead as carefully as he could.

"Like I said, one minute ago," Gruffi turned to him with annoyed eyes. "NO!" He turned down to the trunk again. "What's started must be fulfilled. And we are not done yet."

"I agree with Tummi, Gruffi." Cubbi said. "We need help with this trap. Why did you have to straighten the wire?"

"Because the humans have gotten even closer than before." Gruffi said as he reached for the screwdriver. "The Kings guards are sneaking into our forest like never before. We need to keep them away."

"Not ALL humans, I hope?" said a voice behind them.

The gummies quacked and span around to see a tall, bearded human leaned to a tree with a teasing grin on his face. Gruffi understood it was too late to run away and held up his screwdriver like a weapon and growled at him, even if he knew it would be nothing compared to the dagger that hang from the humans belt. "Don't come any closer, you bastard! I'm more dangerous than I look."

"Oh yeah, Gruffi." The human laughed. "I'm shivering all over."

Gruffi looked like he lost his tongue at the sound of his name. "H-h-how… do you know…"

The man that stood there was dressed in brown pants with darker boots, a green shirt with a simple red tunic over it. He stood with his hands on his hips, his legs spread and a smile that they thought was quite familiar. And it was something about his hair wig. The long, brown hair was tied in the back of his head in a ponytail and the beard covered his cheek and cheekbones, barely preparing a mustache. And those eyes, big deep brown eyes.

Cubbi took a step forward and looked closer at him, before his eyes shut up.

"Cavin?"

The human grinned and laughed again. "Hi, Cubbi!"

"Great galloping gummies!" Gruffi shut his eyes up and lost this screwdriver on the grown, together with his mouth.

"Really nice of you calling me a bastard like that, Gruffi." He said smiling.

"I-I… I" Gruffi stumbled, unable to form any words at all.

"You're back!" Tummi said and smiled. "You're really back!"

"Sure I am." Cavin knelt down and reached out his arms. "Now come here, I want a bear hug!"

Cubbi was the first to bounce up in his open arms, and Gruffi followed short after, but when Tummi also ran into him, he fell backwards of his weight and rolled on the grass with all three of them. They laid like this for a minute, laughing and hugging before they got up and Gruffi had a second look at him.

"I'm sorry, kid. I didn't recognize you, Why lad, how you have changed." He shook his head smiling. "Especially with that fur in your face. That was the least I had expected on you."

"What?" Cavin stroke over the short beard that had grown on his face and suddenly understood why they had failed to recognize him. "Maybe I should have removed it before I came. I was thinking of it, it's really itching."

Gruffi laughed when suddenly got a flash of a memory in the back of his head; the day when they had disguised themselves to sneak into the trolls lair, and Cavin with a fake mustache that he had sneezed right off about five times before they found the trolls at all. "You're soon gonna end up just as furry as the rest of us." he laughed.

Cubbi also cracked into laughter and held his belly while he pointed at him. "You look like an ogre!"

"Oh yeah?" Cavin played insulted and grabbed him and started to rub his head with his fist. "Well in case you don't remember I have been an ogre once and I can tell that they are far furrier than I am now!"

Cubbi giggled when he let go of him, then the two friends looked each other in the eyes for a moment before they embraced each other in another tight hug. "I've really missed you Cavin!"

Cavin held him tight into himself. "I've missed you too, Cubbi." He held him like that for a while before he let go and giggled. "I've missed you all! It feels like more than two years."

"YOU tell." Cubbi said. "I was that close to pull my sward at you."

Cavin suddenly noticed something hanging around Cubbi's shoulder; a belt with a sword that looked familiar to him. "Hey, isn't that Sir Thornberry's?"

"Yeah." Cubbi said proudly. "He said I had deserved to carry it now. My time as a squire is officially over."

"You mean you're officially a knight now?"

"Yep!" Cubbi smiled.

Cavin laughed. "Oh boy, have I missed a lot or what?"

"You gotta go down and meet the others too." Tummi said. They will be so happy to see you."

"Come' on, we gotta go down immediately!" Cubbi jumped down and grabbed his hand.

"Hey hey HEY, wait up!" Gruffi said to the two. "I'm sure we have a lot to share, but we have to fix this before we go down."

Tummi sighed deeply, patted his belly and turned to Cubbi. "I hoped he had forgotten about that."

Cavin giggled and shooks his head. His gummi friends hadn't changed much.

The gummies had just gotten the plate on the trunk down and struggled to hold it when Cavin placed a big foot on it, and held it down as easy as anything while he smiled down at them. "Thought to give you a hand, but I figured out this would be better."

Even Gruffi had to laugh at that. it didn't take long before they had fixed it.

"It's good to have you back, Cavin!"


	2. Reunion

To make sure Cavin didn't scare the heck out of the rest of them, Gruffi sent Cubbi down to tell the others about his arrival. But the news was just as astonishing as if he had walked right into them himself. Grammi, who was doing dishes, lost the plate she was cleaning on the floor. Zummi had also been in the kitchen, drinking a cup of tea, but he choked it when he heard the news. While Cubbi went to tell Gusto, the two older gummies ran out in the main hall, where Gruffi and Tummi arrived shortly after, with Cavin behind them.

For a moment they just stood there and looked at him, like they were unable to believe it was true. Grammi started crying and hid her face in her apron, unable to say anything for a while, so Zummi took the word, though with cracked voice.

"Why Cavin? I bennot calieve it- eh, cannot believe it!" Zummi stumbled and cleared his throat. He tried to say something more but interrupted himself when he started to sniffle. Cavin just knelt down and embraced the two old gummies.

"I'm so happy to see you too!"

A loud voice interrupted the soft moment.

"Cav! It's unbelievable you're back!" they heard Gusto's voice cry from the door. For the first time in his life, the artist had thrown away both his brush and palette and hurried into the main hall when Cubbi told him the news. And now he jumped at Cavin and made him fall back on the floor with the light blue gummi bear hugging around his neck. And when he was lying there, they all used the opportunity to hug every part of his body at once.

When he at last had gotten control over himself again, he sat up, still with Gusto, and now also Cubbi on his belly, and laughed. "Gosh, you guys! I hoped you'd be happy to see me, but I didn't expect to get… chocked like that." he said as he loosened the ties on his cape. He had three gummi bears standing on it so he had to take it off to get to breathe again.

"Oh, we-we're just so relieved to see you." Zummi explained as he took off his glasses and wiped away a tear from the corner of his eye. "When we didn't' see you among the Kings men when they returned, we got quite worried about you."

Cavin's smile disappeared and he looked guilty down in the floor. "I'm sorry. I didn't' mean to worry you. I was alright all the time, but I… I needed to… be alone for a while."

Zummi smiled and touched his arm. "Of course, we understand. You've been in war and probably had awful lot of traumas. I can only imagine what you've been through." Zummi turned around when Grammi started sobbing and laid a comforting arm around her. "Now now, Grammi, calm down. You see now that he's here, alright and in one piece." He gave her a handkerchief, and she blew her nose and continued crying.

Cavin suddenly felt a wave of guilt run through him inside. He hadn't come to think that they might worry for him that much, and seeing Grammi like this was a pain in his heart. He realized that he had waited too long. How selfish I've been, he thought. He reached over to her and laid his arms around her, lifting her up on his lap as he hugged her tight. "Grammi, dear kind Grammi, don't cry, please!"

She looked up at him for a moment with wet eyes and a twisted smile. "I'm sorry, darling." she sniffled.

Cavin kissed her chin and held her tighter, letting her cry on his shoulder. But after a while he loosened the grip and smiled at her. "You know, Grammi? These last two years I haven't got much that looked or tasted like real food."

That made Grammi stop her sobbing and look up at him in shock. "What is it that you're saying?"

"It's true!" Cavin continued. "I had mostly dry bread and hard meat. Only difference was when it was raining; then we got wet bread." Grammi gasped in disbelief. "So tonight I'd really like some of your special surprise stew for a change."

Grammi's tears broke up in a smile and she folded her hands in happiness. "I'll make sure of that, Honey! That will be no problem at all."

"Thanks, Grammi!" Cavin said and put her down again.

The others looked weird at Cavin and especially Gruffi seemed a little dissatisfied, but Zummi smiled when he saw how happy Grammi became. "So that means you will stay for the night?"

Cavin felt a relief himself. The guilt that had been there a moment earlier was gone. "I guess so. Figured out I might as well stay when I first was to drop by. The Castle can wait one more day." Then suddenly he became aware of a movement behind Zummi. "Who's that?"

The others turned around to see what he was talking about. There was someone, a little furred creature hiding in the doorway, peeking his head out to them. Zummi placed his hands on his hips and took a step forward. "Young gummi, you know it's not polite to lurk in the doors like that!"

The little one stepped out from the doorway, a young, light brown furred gummi cub. He was dressed in a dark red tunic and sandals what were tied up around his ankles. A green little had covered his head except for a messy wig. "No-one's said it's forbidden. Besides there's no door here!" he replied with his arms crossed and turned his skeptical eyes to Cavin. "Who's he?"

Grammi walked over to him, placed a paw on his shoulder and led him over to them. He wanted to protest, but Grammi was determinant and took his arm. "Ranni dear, you may not remember Cavin, but I'm sure your mother has told you about him. He was the first human ever that was taken up among the Barbic's."

Cavin smiled when he recognized the name. He sat up on one knee and leaned over to look loser at him. "Is that Ranni? Ursa's son? Wow, you were just a little one when I saw you last time, and now look at you. How you've grown!"

Ranni was Ursa's son; that was no doubt. He was just as slim as her and the same expression on his face. Cavin remembered that he had been personally invited to be one of his life-fathers. That hase been the godfather's. Not only did that show how much trust Ursa had learned to put in him, but it was a historical event for the gummi bears.

Even though it didn't seem like Ranni did much to show his own trust in him. He hid behind Grammi and glued a glare at him.

"Now, don't be rude. Come one, go and say hello." Grammi tried to push him, but he struggled.

"Don't force him, Grammi." Cavin said calm. "I can understand if he's scared of me."

It must have had a sort of effect, because Ranni's expression went from skeptical to insulted. The little cub walked out of Grammi's skirts with his hands on his hips and stretched up his chest like he wanted to seem taller than he was. "I'm NOT afraid of a human!"

Cavin raced an eyebrow at him. "Oh really? Then I guess you are brave enough to take my hand?"

Ranni didn't seem like he wanted to, but it was obvious that he had no choice if he wanted to keep his pride. He took a deep breath and slowly walked over to Cavin. He tried hard not to make his paw shake when he stretched it out to Cavin's. Cavin took a gentle grip around his little fingers and smiled to him, not seeming threatening at all. But as soon as the short handshake was over, Ranni let go and immediately ran back to Grammi.

Cavin only chuckled at him. "Now that's a brave gummi bear if you ask me!"

The other started laughing and Ranni, having experienced enough for today, ran out of the room.

"How did you manage that?" Zummi asked Cavin.

Cavin chuckled. "Hey, he's Ursa's son, right? He looks more like her now, and I guessed he would be acting more like her too."

"Yeah, he does. Poor kid. Gruffi shook his head and sighed. Ursa sent him here because she's having trouble with him. They're arguing all the time, calling each other names and stuff like that."

"I see I've missed a lot more than I thought." Cavin sighed and turned around to pick up his cape. "Would you mind?" he asked Gruffi.

Gruffi suddenly became aware that he was still standing on Cavin's cape and move immediately. "Ops! Sorry, kid… eh- Cavin!" he smiled excusing. "Let me take that for you." He started picking up the cape and folding it together.

Cavin smiled at him. "Eh… you don't have to…"

"Sure." Gruffi said as he lifted up the big garment. "Now, let's get you quartered."

"Cubbi, why don't you go and wake up Sir Thrornberry?" Zummi said. "You know how he hates to miss what's going on."

"I tried to, but you know how deep he's sleeping." Cubbi said. "Especially at noon."

Cavin rose and picked up his bag, looking questioning at Grammi. "Sir Thornberry lives here now?"

"Yes, he moved in after he retired and gave Cubbi his sword."

"Awesome, I can't wait to meet him again!"

He followed Gruffi and the rest into the hallways he caught himself staring at the familiar things. It wasn't exactly like it had been before Igthorn destroyed it, but they had managed to build it up again quite nicely. They had even managed to make it better. The Glen had been old and it had been more damage around than they had been aware of, so according to Zummi they actually owed Iggy one.

But now the place was like brand new. The walls were all white that lightened the place up, the walls were supported with stronger beams and the roof was better constructed with a new architectural idea that had appeared in Dunwyn about the same time.

They came to the corridors with the bedrooms. A little bit further they came to a couple of doors that was taller than the rest. Gruffi opened one of them and smiled at Cavin to walk in first.

It was simple furnished, but high enough under the roof for a grown human. The bed was covering a whole wall in length, simple but fine, with a soft green blanket; a simple mirror hanging a little high with a taller table, and a dresser on the other side. The tiny table by the bed had a candle and over it was a picture that Cavin hadn't seen before that he recognized ad made by Gusto. He hurried to look away from the picture of himself as a child with his Grandfather and placed the bag on the bed.

There were a lot of memories with the bedroom. Memories that wasn't just pleasant. But still, it made Cavin feel a stronger belonging with the gummies. Gruffi had made the bedroom especially for him, and that meant a lot to Cavin.

After his Grandfather's sudden death, Cavin had practically moved in to the Glen. For a long time King Gregor had believed he was at home grieving, when the truth was that he had stayed in Gummi Glen for more than a month. It had taken him terribly long time to get over his loss, and they had been incredibly patient with him. Even Gruffi had borrowed him a shoulder to cry on.

"I made sure to wipe off dust once in a while." Grammi said. "If there's anything you need, just tell me."

Cavin woke up from his thoughts and turned to her. "Eh… oh, yeah."

Grammi's face got a worried expression. "Is everything alright dear?"

He tried to smile. "Sure I'm fine, it's just…" he sat down on the bed with a heavy sigh. There were so many feelings running through him that he had trouble thinking. "Gosh, it's only been two years, but it feels like ten."

Grammi took his hand and spoke with deeply moved voice. "It feels like that for us too, honey. It's been a while, and I think we all need to get it over us. We were expecting a young boy walking into us; not a dashing, handsome young man. It's still so unbelievable to have you back!" she sniffled again and Cavin placed his other hand over hers and squeezed it.

Gruffi placed Cavin's cape on his bed, turned around and coughed. "You gotta excuse me, I… think I left my tools in the main and I don't want Ranni to play with them." Then he turned around and left the room, with surprisingly hurry.

But they managed to see that he raced a hand towards his face.

All of them looked after him. "Is he alright?" Tummi asked.

Gusto smiled and shook his head. "Oh, Gruffamondo can play hard as much as he likes, but he's just as much a soft kitten as everyone. He's been worried for Cav just like the rest of us." He walked to the door. "I'll go check on him." he said and left.

Cavin had to smile. He had always know that Gruffi had soft spots, but it wasn't often he got to see it for real. But he knew also knew when it was better to leave him alone.

"Grammi?" Tummi suddenly asked and pulled her dress.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Do you think we can have lunch now?"

The question was so startling that they were all silent for a second; but suddenly they all broke into laughter. Grammi smiled warmly at Tummi.

"Of course, dear. It's far over time and…" she suddenly gasped loud. "Oh my goodness! I have a bread in the oven!" and by that she hurried out of the room and fled to the kitchen.

Cavin giggled and rose from the bed. "Not much change here, I see?"

"No, there isn't much…" Zummi said as they all went out to the kitchen after Grammi. He walked a bit after the others and sighed low to himself. "At least not here in Gummi Glen."

* * *

Gruffi hurried to get his own bedroom. Once he was inside, he pushed the door behind him. Then he sat down on his bed, making sure no-one were outside before he leaned his head in his hands, and a sob escaped.

He was surprised of how easy the tears had come. But then it had taken him a little time, like Grammi said, before he had realized that their dear human friend had returned. Gruffi had to admit that he had missed him. He really cared about Cavin, he had always done. He remembered the first day they met him. He had risked his life to get Cavin that bottle of gummiberry juice. And it had only been a few hours after they had met him and he worked side by side with him to save the Kingdom.

How? Had had a young human managed to get to creep under his skin, and so easily too?

"Gruffamondo?"

Gruffi got startled and looked up to see Gusto come in the door with a lightly smile on his face. "Weren't you supposed to get these?" He held up his tool box with one hand.

"Eh… yes, but…" his voice faded, and he rose and walked away from his bed, didn't wanted to show Gusto his twisted face expression.

But Gusto understood very well. He put down the tool box and walked over to him paying a paw on his shoulder. "You have missed him too, haven't you?"

Gruffi nodded since he was unable to speak.

Gusto laid his arm around his shoulders. He used one hand to knit up the handkie he had around his neck and placed it in Gruffi's hand, who pressed it to his eyes to prevent more tears of streaming down.

But then he seemed to discover what he was holding, and annoyed he turned to the blue bear. "For the Great Gummie's sake Gusto, you're wearing this!"

"No, I don't wear it for them." he answered. "I wear it because I like it."

Gruffi had another comment ready, but he managed to close his mouth and was surprised to suddenly find himself chuckling instead. Soon after he broke into laughter and almost ended up with a hiccup. But after a while he managed to get control over his breath again and turned to Gusto and gave him a hug.

"Thank you, Gusto."

Gusto got a little surprised byt the sudden move, but then relieved that he had managed to cheer him up and retaliated the hug. "Hey no prob, Gruffamondo."

He let go of him and smiled, a seldom kind of smile that was to be found on Gruffi's lips; a grateful smile. By the two years after Cavin went to war, he and Gusto had gotten to understand each other more after Gruffi at long last had managed to convince the artist to move into Gummi Glen permanently.

In the beginning Gruffi hadn't minded the chatty gummi bear to live apart from them, but after Cavin left for war and Sunni moved with Buddi to Ursalia and Cubbi joined them to do his final training with Sir Thornberry, it had gotten pretty lonely and sad in the Glen. Everything had been on its head and everyone was so sad and depressed. Gruffi hadn't been able to handle a constantly weeping Grammi, a more than usual confused Zummi and a suddenly not-eating Tummi all alone.

Gusto hadn't liked the situation in the Glen either, but when Gruffi had actually begged him, he had felt so sorry for him that he had agreed to move into them. In few days Gusto, with Gruffi's help, had packed his stuff over to the Glen and didn't seem to be thinking of moving out. In the sad situation Gusto had been the one able to light up the atmosphere with his cherish mood and things got all better for everyone. And even better; it seemed like Gusto had finally learned to take account to everyone else, which was pleasant for everyone. He was more cooperative, he wasn't in the way and had learned that there was time for art and time for work.

Now he and Gruffi had grown to close friends, and they were both happy for that. In fact they were all happy, since Gruffi also had changed a lot himself. He had learned to accept Gusto's spontaneous behavior, which could be one of the reasons that Gusto had decided to stay for good. His atelier behind the waterfall was now more or less a storing place. He had discovered how lovely it actually was to live with a family.

"Come on, we better join them, huh?" Gusto said.

Gruffi nodded. "Yes, we should.


	3. Memories

_I'm sorry, this was a damn long chapter, but I couln't do anything to fix that, I needed all the pieces in here, so please bear over with me and enjoy it instead?_

* * *

"Zummi! I almost forgot."

Cavin stopped and turned to Zummi. The old gummi bear looked like he was in his own thoughts and got a bit startled when Cavin spoke to him.

"Oh-eh.. what?"

"I forgot to give this back." Cavin opened his shirt and took out the gummi medallion.

Zummi's face became a great smile when he saw it and broke into laughter. "You know, I had actually forgotten about it myself."

Cavin took it of his neck and knelt down and handed it to Zummi. "I know it was hard for you to give it away, and I understand. But I'm really glad I had it out there. I somehow… felt safer. You know he…" he hesitated.

"He also wore it in battle, I remember you told me." Zummi finished for him as he got the medallion in his hands. Cavin looked down a moment and Zummi could see that he had trouble talking about it. So instead of forcing him to talk of it anymore, he took his hand and smiled to him. "What do you say? Shall we open the Great Book, once again?"

Cavin blinked and looked up again, smiling back. "Sure!"

Zummi opened the door to the library and he and Cavin walked inn. The Great Book of Gummi was lying on its usual shelf, but Cavin wrinkled his forehead when he saw that it was closed. Though, a bunch of notes at the little table beside the Book could tell that Zummi had been busy studying it before it eventually got closed.

He had felt a bit bad about taking the medallion with him when he went to war, but Zummi had insisted that he should wear it.

"_We have managed without it for hundreds of years; we can handle to be without it for a couple of years." _

That's what Zummi had said when Cavin had met them out in the forest right before King Gregor's force left. His Grandfather had worn it before in battle, for good luck, and that's why Zummi had sent it with him in the first place; and because it had been one of his last wishes.

But as he walked towards the Book with Zummi, there was another memory that ran through his mind; the first day he had met them. It was when Zummi had made him swear in front of it to keep their existence a secret; and when they had invited him into their world. And out of that he knelt down and without thinking placed his hand on the book's frame. The Book glowed for a short moment, like the first time when he had given his promise to them.

Zummi chuckled. "It recognizes you!"

Cavin snickered. Zummi had always treated the Great Book like it was a living creature. "Well? What are you waiting for?"

With stars in his eyes, Zummi raced the medallion and placed it at the emblem of the Book; the Book glowed again, stronger this time, and Cavin and Zummi watched it as the frame went up and the pages flapping and crating a slight wind in their faces. The great Book of Gummi was once again open.

When the glowing faded, and the Book once again laid silent, Zummi walked up the steps to look at it. "Imagine; ten years ago this Book had been locked for centuries. And on this very day just as long ago, we got to know a young human who gave us the key to open it. Isn't it unbelievable?"

Cavin knelt down again and touched the pages of the Book with awe. "Ten years… Yes, it is unbelievable…"

Zummi shirked as he watched Cavin's smile suddenly fading and wondered if he had said something that had upset him. He was silent for a little while and Zummi got startled when Cavin suddenly spoke up.

"When I was out there, I…" he paused, "… I realized for the first time why you were so afraid of us." He looked up, without really looking at anything. "I saw humans fight humans. I saw then kill each other, on command from a king who cares for nothing but his own wishes. I saw how brutal and cruel they… we could be! I can only imagine… why you…" for a moment Cavin's eyes looked so deep and… Zummi thought it looked like he was lost.

Oh dear lad, what have the war done with you?

Zummi reached out a paw and touched the hand he had on the Book, and squeezed it gently. "I know what you might be thinking." Cavin looked hesitating at him. "But you are not one of the brutal and cruel humans that chased the Great Gummies away centuries ago. You're Cavin, practically a gummi yourself, and a defender of the good. You proved that the first day you came here." He turned some of the pages back and pointed out the lines for Cavin, who looked. "This is our first adventure! Remember?"

Cavin read the page, and got his smile back when he saw what it said.

_Today, we helped a young boy to save his __Kingdom…_

"You wrote that down, didn't you?"

"Hm, well…" Zummi smiled. "It was after all the deed done by gummi bears in hundreds of years. It had to be written down." He placed his paw on his shoulder. "And it would never have been written if it hadn't been for you! You made us go out there and do what the Ancient Gummies would have done, and we made it. And Dunwyn and its people was saved, all thanks to one little boy who believed in what's right!"

Cavin looked back at Zummi, still a little unsecure, and was looked like he wanted to say something, but couldn't let it out.

"Wow! It's open?"

Cavin and Zummi turned around to the voice that had come from behind them, to see Ranni standing in the door with wide eyes and an open mouth that threatened to touch the floor. But this time Zummi didn't yell at him for sneaking in the doors. Instead he smiled at him. "That's right, Ranni. The Great Book of Gummi is now opened because Cavin here…" he gesticulated to Cavin, "…has given us the key to it once more."

The cub raced an eyebrow. "Once more? What do you mean with that?" he asked in a way Ursa would have done.

Zummi chuckled again and took the cubs shoulders, leading him out of the library. "We'll get plenty of time to explain. Tonight we will tell you the story from the beginning, when our great adventure begun!"

"Are we gonna tell stories?" Ranni jumped up and down.

"Yes, tonight we will tell stories. But now we will go to lunch. I'm so hungry that even Grammi's bread would be good now."

As the three of them made their way to the main hall, Ranni kept looking up at the human, wondering what kind of mystical past he had with the Glen Gummies.

* * *

During lunch Cavin was extremely curious about how things had been going since he had left. Ursalia was one of the themes, and so were Sunni and Buddi, and the rest of the Barbic's. He seemed a bit disappointed that he didn't get to see them at first. Buddi had mentioned that he would gladly move into Gummi Glen if that's what Sunni wanted. He wondered why they had changed their mind.

"Sunni decided to become the juice-maker in Ursalia, since they've started to use the gummiberry juice more than before." Gruffi explained. "I think she wants to feel important. The role does come with a certain position."

"But the most joyful event happened six months ago, when Sunni gave birth to the most adorable little cub!" Grammi got so excited talking about it that she clapped her hands. "You can really imagine, she's the most adorable little thing."

"She's not that cute." Cubbi said and made a face. "She's screaming all night and whimper about every little thing. It was so bad I had to sleep in the rama stables."

Cavin started laughing. "Sunni with a baby; I never thought I'd gonna see that."

"Oh believe me; she has changed a lot… ever since she got married." Zummi said and took another bite of the bread.

But Cavin stopped smiling when he heard the bad news. He almost yelled when he spoke.

"Ursalia was attacked?"

Gruffi nodded. "It's true. Lady Bane tried once more to concur the Great Library in Ursalia only a month after you left. But don't you worry, we managed to keep her out. Though she did a lot of damage to Ursalia, we used all last year's summer and fall to repair it before winter, and there's still dome damage to repair."

"We had all the Barbic's here in the Glen for the winter." Grammi said. "Goodness gracious, what they lack in both table manners and all else. They're barely able to handle a soap!" She got a snort to respond from Ranni, but she ignored it.

"Oh gosh!" Cavin dragged a hand through his wig. "I really should have come sooner. If I had known about this…"

"Oh it's not that bad." Cubbi said to calm him down. "After all, there is nothing left to steal in Ursalia, all the books are damaged so she would have left empty handed anyway."

But Cavin didn't seem to relax and turned to Zummi. "She was after the Great Book, wasn't she?"

Zummi nodded and couched. "She tried to capture little Ranni as a bate to give it out, but when Ranni managed to escape, she attacked with her new army. You should have seen it. She had managed to create these horrible giants made of stone that attacked the walls of the city with no problem. Enroutmus giants without heads!"

"But we managed to fight them back!" Cubbi sadi proudly and got up from his chair. "Remember the gummi-skope, how powerful it was? We used it to keep the monsters out. The sun made it blast with it's beam just like Iggy did it years ago. And the great horn; we blew the witch out of Ursalia. You should have seen her flying out of Ursalia like a catapult!" Cubbi was so eager he drew his sword and swung it over the table while he spoke. Zummi had to duck from it and Gruffi stood up with his hands on his hips.

"Cubbi! What did I tell you about the sword? Never inside!"

Cubbi hurried to put it away when he saw Gruffi's expression. "Eh…Sorry, Gruffi." He sat down again, but looked a little insulted for being put on place now that he was really a knight.

While they talked, Cavin looked at Ranni. The cub had gotten the skeptical, suspicious eyes back and bent down while he glared at Cavin. No wonder the cub distrusted him; he had gotten bad impressions of his kin. But really, Cavin didn't blame him. Quite the opposite, he understood him well. And he looked at Zummi, now with the medallion around his neck again. If only he had been in the position of it when Lady Bane attacked, maybe this wouldn't have happened at all.

Zummi must have read him somehow, because he hurried to smile. "But it's alright now. We're almost done building up the damage she caused. I suppose they're…" Zummi said and suddenly looked up. "Oh, there we have them at last."

Cavin looked up at the door and almost expected to see the Barbic's entering. Instead he got to see Gusto and Gruffi, accompanied by Sir Thornberry.

"There you are." Grammi said. "What took you so long?"

"It took a while, but we managed to wake him, at long last." Gruffi said.

"All it took was to say that he was missing the meal, and he was up in a second." Gusto giggled.

Sir Thornberry was humping forward supported by Gruffi's arm. It was with a melancholic smile that Cavin looked at the cane the old gummi knight was using to support himself with. He wasn't a young gummi anymore; the age had come to him and made him physically weaker. But by the way he walked and the look in his eyes, Cavin could tell that he hadn't changed much elsewhere.

Sir Thornberry made his way over to the table to the others. "What's for lunch today then?"

Grammi grabbed his arm and supported him around the table. "Sir Thornberry, how good to see you up. We have a surprise in here."

"What? Surprise stew again?" he looked confused at her. "Not that I mind, but two days in a row?"

Grammi chuckled. "No, Sir Thornberry. I am talking about our guest."

"What?" he leaned his ear to her and held his hand out to catch what she said. "Am I to guess what's for lunch? Alright then, this will be fun. I love guessing games; I'm quite good at them. Might it be…" But he widened his eyes when he suddenly got his looks on Cavin, and the lunch was completely forgotten.

"Who is this fellaa-outch?" he pointed his cane towards Cavin, but fell on the floor when he lost his balance.

"Oh, Sir Thornberry." Grammi helped him up, supported by Gruffi.

Cavin bent down to face him and stretched out his hand. "Hello, Sir Thornberry. It's a while ago, but it's nice to see you again."

Sir Thornberry looked down at his hand, and then up at him again with skeptical eyes. "Have we met, mister?"

The others got shocked faces at his reaction. "But don't you remember Cavin?" Grammi said, and he looked questioning at her.

"Cavin? Does he know Cavin?"

"Not, it IS Cavin!" Gruffi rolled his eyes.

"Is your vision getting poor, Gruffi?" Sir Thornberry asked. "You should be able to recognize your friends. But as long as he's a friend of Cavin it's alright with me." he stretched out his hand to Cavin. "How're you doing? When did you first know about us? Why haven't anyone told me about this fella?"

Gruffi hit face with a hand and sighed heavily. "I give up that moron!" he growled low.

A little insecure, Cavin took his hand. "Eh… Well, you see…"

"I'll gladly hear your story afterwards, but now I'm hungry." Sir Thornberry said made his way to the table. "A good nap really races your appetite."

Grammi couldn't help but chuckle at the comical situation. "Oh, poor old Sir Thornberry!" But she tamed her laughter when she saw Cavin's face, suddenly covered with guilt.

"I'm sorry." he sighed.

Grammi raced a hand to his face and stroke it over his slight growing beard. "I think it was this that confused him a little. It wasn't your fault."

Cavin scratched his cheek. "You're probably right. I should have thought about that. I didn't mean to confuse him like that."

Even Gruffi softened when he saw Cavin's face and patted his shoulder. "Don't worry about him. That gummi's been confused from the first day I met him." He crossed his arms shaking his head. "He's hopeless, just look at him; thinks he' still a youth when he's barely able to stand on his own feet!"

Cavin did look at Sir Thornberry, and it made him sad. He knew that the old gummi bear was a bit confused from before, but it shocked him to see how crocked he had become by time. He had obviously aged and might not have much left. Some things really had changed in just two years. A wave of emotions ran through his mind again and he was silent the rest of the meal.

* * *

Later that day, Cavin spent time walking around in the Glen with Cubbi and Tummi talking about old days. Things seemed to get back to normal now that they had gotten used to Cavin's presence again. Cubbi had gotten back to his childish, merry attitude, something he had managed to put away during his knighthood with Sir Thornberry while Cavin had been away. And even though Tummi had never really had trouble eating, he did stuff in himself a few extra portions more than them all for the first time in long.

The only one now that didn't seem normal to them was actually Cavin.

There was with a certain worry Gruffi, Grammi and Zummi continued to send Cavin worried looks from after the meal and the rest of the afternoon. Even though he proved to be the same, there was something about him that they couldn't figure out. Despite that he smiled, his eyes seemed so distant, like he was lost in thoughts. There was a concern among the oldest responsible gummies that made them wonder.

Zummi had never really experienced war, but he knew it was an ugly thing, and he was worried about what it might have done with their dear friend. Maybe he was right, that Cavin had traumas that needed to be healed. It pained his heart that the once so happy, young lad of theirs had been through so much horror. When it came to fact he hadn't mentioned the war much, except the part with the food. None of them had mentioned it with a single word. No-one dared to talk about it; it was too much frightening for them.

It wasn't before after dinner, when they were gathered in the living room around the fireplace that they finally managed to make him talk about his days in the war. Sir Thornberry was so tired he went to bed, but Ranni was eager. Before Cavin told his story, Zummi kept his promise to Ranni and told him about the first day they met Cavin and about their first victory. Afterwards Ranni stared long at Cavin with obviously new sort of admiration.

Then it was Cavin's turn to tell. Cubbi was the mostly curious one since Cavin had been with nothing but knights and leaders and all. Cavin seemed a bit unwilling to tell, but he probably felt like he owed them it, so he told them from the beginning.

Since he was just a squire, he had been put to do work just similar to what he used to at the Castle. He took care of everyone's horses, he fixed weapons and cleaned armor; nothing new. In the beginning he had been everyone's running boy asking "get me this" and "get me that".

But the waiting had given him lots of time with Sir Victor, who also had joined the war. He had been training with him, he had taught him another way to attack with a lance, and showed him how to get such a close connection with his horse, just like he had with Destiny. It was then Cavin had discovered what more one could achieve when horse and rider knew each other in and out.

But Cavin also told them the horrible news; Sir Victor hadn't returned from the war.

He sat silent after he had said it, and even though Cubbi got tears in his eyes and. They all had a silent minute before they spoke again. Even thought the White Knight had been Duke Igthorn's twin brother, they had nothing against Sir Victor. At least not after he proved to be the hero he was said to be. And now he had died like a hero.

But then Grammi changed subject and started to ask about the conditions out there and how he had been doing. Had he been well enough dressed? Had he gotten enough sleep? Did he catch a cold?

"About a hundred times." Cavin laughed. "I don't think I had one single day all winter without a sore throat. But rather that than what happened to Sir Tuxford."

"What happened to Sir Tuxford?" Cubbi almost yelled, with the fear back in his eyes.

"He got a horrible damage in his right leg. Poor man, he wasn't able to walk for weeks and far from able to ride a horse."

"Oh no!" Grammi said and covered her mouth. "Poor Sir Tuxford."

"There were three times when we fought for real, and during the second one we lost many of the commanding leaders. And when we had to divide ourselves, I was given the permission to lead one of four groups for a sneak attack that made the other ones able to attack from the outside."

"Gy moodness-er, my goodness!" Zummi said, obviously frightened.

"Were you scared?" Tummi asked a little shivering from his story.

Cavin nodded calmly. "I was, but I kind of realized I had no choice. It was either them or us, and Sir Tuxford said that we weren't going to give up that easily. So I just bit it and went through with… it..."

He stopped, suddenly getting a distant look on his face. They all looked at him, and then in the direction Cavin was looking, and they all understood what was going on.

Cavin had gotten his eyes fixed on something on the other side of the living room; a life-size portrait of Sir Gawain hanging on the wall. He stood there in a proud, gentlemanly pose with both hands on his cane with a lure expression on his face; the expression he always got when he said 'wasn't I right about the gummi bears?' or 'Have I ever told you about…'. Cavin walked right over to it, slowly letting his fingers carefully touch the canvas, like he expected to touch his Grandfather.

The gummies exchanged looks, and sadness appeared in their eyes as they watched him. Even Tummi was able to lower the cookie that had been on his way to his mouth.

"I already had a sketch done, and then I… got a little inspired you see." Cavin looked down at Gusto, who had walked up beside him. The artist smiled carefully back and then looked at the painting. "Got it finished a while after you left. I had the intention to hang it over the fire place, but I saw too late that is was too low under the roof." He tried to laugh, but it faded when he looked back at Cavin again.

Cavin's eyes, now filled with tears and emotions, turned back to the painting. He pressed his lips together and swallowed hard. His hand was quaking as his fingers touched Sir Gawain's face. "I-it's…" he swallowed again. "…wonderful… really wonderful, Gusto… The best you've ever done!" He closed his eyes hard and got a twisted face expression.

Cubbi appeared on his other side, pulling his sleeve carefully. "Are you alright, Cavin?" Cavin didn't answer, but bit his teeth together.

"Honey." Grammi took his hand and begun patting it. "If you want to cry, it's alright." He opened his eyes again and met Grammi's warm smile as she looked up at him. "You know it's just us here."

He quickly covered his eyes with his hand when the tears started to poor down his face. It was too much for him and suddenly he practically collapsed down on his knees in front of the picture and started sobbing. It didn't take long before all the gummies had gathered around him, all with tears in their eyes, even Gruffi was affected but tried to hide it by speaking comforting to Cavin. Tummi and Cubbi tried to hold his hands, and Gusto and Grammi also held around him. Not one furry face was dry.

After Igthorn had managed to destroy the Glen, Cavin had told his Grandfather about what had happened. Sir Gawain had at first been a bit hurt to know that Cavin already knew about the gummi bears, but he got furious when he learned of what had happened to their home. He and Cavin had gone to Ursalia, where they had been at the time. And with them they had brought lots of goods and equipment, from wood and beams till food and fabrics, to start repairing the Glen. And not only that; he had bought up lot's of the areas in the forest; most of it around the areas of Gummi Glen and made it clear that it was temporarely forbidden to enter that part of the forest. It had all been thanks to the fortune he had won from Lord Willaby when he had beat him in a bet. King Gregor hadn't understood why Sir Gawain wanted the forest for, but he had been more than willing to sell a part of it for enough money to restore the Castle after Igthotn's damage. The gummies had been incredibly grateful to him; and they had all been mourning when the old storyteller died.

About a year before Cavin had been called out to join the war, Sir Gawain had suddenly become ill. It wasn't anything wrong with his health, but he had trouble eating when he got a horrible stomach ache that later lead to bleeding. He became weaker and weaker, and when the doctors at the Castle could do nothing, Cavin had taken him to the Glen, where Grammi and Zummi had tried their best to treat him. They had at last come to the sad conclusion that he was suffering from liver failure, something that could not be treated. But Gawain had already realized the fact that it was the end of him. They had let him stay the last time in the Glen where they did their best to erase his pain, and he passed away peacefully with them all, including Cavin and even Calla, by his side. Afterwards they had taken his body to Ursalia, where he was given a grave among the gummi knights that had been buried there centuries ago; an honor for the first time ever given to a human.

After a while, Cavin's crying went from loud sobbing to sore gasping. He tried hard to blink away tears, something that was quite impossible since they didn't seem to end. He swallowed and gasped before he tried to speak, but there was just sobs that escaped. "I'm sorry. I… I wanted to come earlier, but… I couldn't. I just couldn't." He gasped. "I thought it… would be too strong… too much for me to handle... too many memories... But now that I'm here I… I don't understand how I made it so long without you…!" His voice faded again and he went back to gasping.

Grammi placed a handkerchief in his hand and after drying his eyes and blowing his nose he was finally able to calm down. Then Zummi took Cavin's hand. "Cavin, I know that we can never replace you Grandfather," He lifted up his cheek and wiped his face with a furry finger. "But we want you to know that you will always have a family in us. You have always been a part of our world, from the very first beginning, and you shall never be alone." He sniffled, cleared his throat and took his hand with a strong grip. "You shall know that I… I miss him too. He was such a good friend."

His face got twisted and he looked down. Cavin laid his arm around him and pulled him closer. "Thanks, Zummi… everyone, I… " He swallowed again. "I love you guys!"

While they stood by the painting, Ranni watched them from the couch, not knowing what to do or believe. He wasn't used to emotional situations and felt uneasy where he sat. And more; he didn't know what to believe when he saw the human crying like a child over a lost one. Never ever had he imagined that he would see a human like this. His mother had said that not all humans were bad, but this roke all his pictures of humans.

His curiosity finally won over his shyness. He jumped off the couch and carefully stepped towards the others, appeared up in front of Cavin and looked up at him. Cavin became aware of him and opened his tearful eyes at him.

"You know, for a human," he said, "…you're weird!"

Cavin's twisted face slowly turned into a smile at the little cub and soon he started to chuckle and gasp over each other. Ranni didn't get time to react when Cavin suddenly lifted him up and gave him a light hug. "And you're an incredible gummi bear, Ranni." He said and put him down again. For the first time, Rammi smiled sincere at him, and his eyes said clearly 'I can learn to trust you'.

In the meantime, Grammi had disappeared out of the room, and when she returned she had brought with her a glass of water that she made Cavin drink. "Or else you might end up with a hic-up." The comment made him laugh in the middle of a sip and made him start coughing violently when he swallowed wrongly. But when he had calmed down again he continued laughing, along with the others. In short time the sad atmosphere was replaced with a loud laughter from all in the room.

"I don't think I've… laughed like this for years!" Gruffi said gasping and wiped his eyes from tears.

"Me neither!" Tummi said and then yawned. "Or been this tired."

"No wonder, it's far over bed-time." Grammi said and took Ranni's shoulders. "Especially for you, Ranni."

Ranni looked like he wanted to protest. "But I'm not tired at aaaaa…" he's sentence ended in a loud yawn that made them all laugh again.

"I think we all should be heading for bed now." Zummi said while he rubbed his eyes.

No-one seemed to disagree with him, so they said good night and left the room.

Zummi had been right about Cavin's emotions, but he got relieved to understand it was mostly old memories that had bothered him; old memories that needed to be healed mixed with new traumas.. Zummi wondered if he should have a talk with Cavin about his experiences in the war. Maybe there were things he needed to clear out.

With that thought in mind he went to prepare himself for bed.

* * *

Cavin was feeling a lot better, but exhausted when he finally got to his room. It was a weird feeling to say to himself that he was finally home again. But he truly was home, here with the gummies. Zummi was right, he really had to get over the war some way or another, but if the gummies continued to be around he knew he would make it. They were his family now, and they were there for him.

His eyes moved to the picture right over the table by the bed and he smiled. Gusto had made a fine work once again; Sir Gawain had his hands on the shoulders on a young Cavin, who was wearing a gummi medallion, as a reminder of who it was who had brought it to the gummies; it actually looked like he had just hanged the medallion around his neck. The boy at the picture looked up at his Grandfather with love and admiration. He really had looked up to him. The picture hadn't been there before he left, and he wondered if Gusto was trying to freeze the wonderful moments that had been.

He got under the blanket and continued staring at the painting from the flicking light of the candle. He started to think of the wonderful times when he was still there, with him, and the gummies, and how fun it had been to finally get to share the secret with him. Somehow, it had wounded him deeply that his Grandfather had just given up like that. But now he understood why. Zummi had explained it to him, but it was first now that he understood; it was because he knew that Cavin would be taken care of, that he wouldn't be left alone.

And he knew that he wouldn't. The gummies would always be there for him, that was a fact that made him stand up.

A sudden touch on his leg stunned him, and hurried to lift up this blanket to see what it was.

"Sorry, did I scare you?"

Cavin giggled when he saw Cubbi under there. The pink gummi bear crept up to him and Cavin laid his arm around him and the blanket around both. "Not at all. I've gotten used to a lot lately. Though, it's a long time since I had a gummi bear in my bed to keep me warm."

When Cubbi didn't answer, Cavin felt his way to his face and was surprised to find it was wet. "Cubbi? Are you alright, is something wrong?"

Cubbi crept closer till he was right up under his cheek. "I've missed you so much, Cavin' it's been so horrible… you can't imagine!" he gasped as he clinched his paws around his neck.

Cavin held his little friend tight into his chest while he wept, and it didn't take long before felt tears welling up again. He realized that he wasn't completely empty for emotions yet, but this time he managed not to cry. He knew he wouldn't be able to stop if he first started. "I'm sorry, Cubbi. I should have come sooner. I can't believe I held out so long without you!"

"And… I can't believe Sir Victor…" Cubbi sobbed.

"I know, Cubbi." Cavin said low. "I was there when we found him…"

Cubbi snuggled his arms around his neck as Cavin hugged him tighter, burying his nose in his furry head and just drawing in the smell of gummi bear.

In the beginning when Cavin had mourned for his Grandfather, he had wept constantly. But he felt like it was bothering them, so he had instead started helping out in the Glen at day, all from helping Grammi with dishes to helping Gruffi in the tunnels, to give his mind something else to think about, and then when he went for bed at night he had wept himself into sleep. He hadn't realized that they could hear him, and Cubbi couldn't stand it, so he had started to sleep with him when he didn't stop crying at night. It had helped, because with Cubbi there he had started to talk about his pain instead of just crying about it.

And it hadn't taken him long before he had started to talk with the others as well, especially Zummi, who had been mourning for Gawain just as much as himself. Zummi and Sir Gawain had been just as close as Cavin with Cubbi, or Calla with Sunni. Somehow, it helped Cavin to know that his Grandfather was missed by more people than himself.

Cavin cursed himself when he thought of his Grandfather again. It wasn't really the loss of him; it was something else that had bothered him all day. With a choked voice Cavin took the courage and spoke. "I don't think I can handle any more loss, Cubbi. Just seeing Sir Thornberry that way was…" he gasped. "Somehow I have never thought of the fact that you guys get older too. And then I thought of Zummi and Grammi and…" then he broke in a sudden sob, and the tears were held back in vain.

Cubbi on the other hand had suddenly gotten silent when he heard what Cavin was talking about. He rose up and looked down at him in the flicking light of the candle. "You're afraid of them?"

Cavin nodded and then sniffled.

Cubbi touched his shoulder. "You don't have to worry about them. They're gonna be here a long time."

Cavin looked up at Cubbi with wet eyes. "They are?"

"Sure. Don't you know that we gummies live over a hundred years?" Cubbi giggled and almost fell back when he saw Cavin's confused face. "Of all things haven't anyone ever told you that?"

Cavin didn't answer for a moment but then he wiped his eyes and sighed as he laid his head down. Cubbi thought that he suddenly looked a lot more relaxed. "Zummi and Grammi are close to their 80's, but they still have long left. They're a little more stiff that usual, but they can still handle a situation if they must. Sir Thornberry can't remember his own age, but we're pretty sure he's over a hundred years. 'He's gotta be as crazy as he is', Gruffi says."

That made Cavin smile again. "Guess he wasn't too happy about him moving in, huh?" he chuckled.

Cubbi shook his head. "He wasn't. But Sir Thornberry's having some medical problems that Grammi helps him with. Beside he's driving the Barbic's nuts."

Cavin chuckled and wiped away the last tears from his eyes. "Cubbi, thanks for holding out with me. I promise I'm gonna stop now."

Cubbi laughed. "I'm glad. I'm not gonna do it either." He crept under his arm again.

They were silent a moment, affected by the seriousness, before Cubbi spoke up again. "Remember when you used to sleep in my bed? And then one night you rolled out because you had grown too big?"

Cavin laughed. "You bet I remember. What was it that I landed on again?"

Cubbi chuckled. "Your boot."

"Oh yeah. I can't believe that a boot could hurt that much." He snickered. "Hey, remember when we went down to the caves to search for the wishing stone?"

"Oh yes!" Cubbi said eager. "I think that was one of our best adventurers ever! And no-one's knows that we did it!"

"That's pretty bad, it's a really good story." Cavin laughed. "I think we should tell them once."

"Maybe."

They broke into laughter again and soon the two young boys were back in their childish mood and begun talking about old days when they had fought ogres and other 'dangerous' as kids.

* * *

_I'm sorry that there are so many flashbacks, but it's the only way to tell the story in a short way. I want anyone to tell me if anyone is OOC. And I might make changes if I figure out something is wrong or missing._


	4. Struggles

_Sorry for the late update, had some issues starting school and stuff but finally I've made another one._

_I apologize on behalf because I know that some of you probably want to kill me after reading this chapter, but I beg you not to do it before I've finished the story please? Everything will come to an answer on the way and you will understand that what I've done is for the story's sake._

The next morning when Grammi went to the kitchen to prepare for the breakfast, she met the others. Zummi was using his magic to lift one plate after the other down from the shelf and into the arms of Gruffi, who stood there rolling his eyes over how slow it went. Grammi shook her head, but smiled. It was no doubt that Zummi enjoyed to use magic again, and strangely enough she had missed it a bit. Zummi had felt a bit hollow without it, and now she saw a smile she hadn't seen in long playing on his lips. Magic was his path, he had proven to be it worthy many a time. When he was practicing magic, he was like a young gummi again, and that made her feel young again too somehow. But then again they were males, and males didn't ever really grow up no matter how old they got. Years of living with them had thought her that much. She saw that on the others as well. Over at shelf's Tummi was trying to reach the cookies by standing on a stool. Beside him was Gusto, absolutely trying to make a sculpture out of the cups by placing them upside down on top on each other on a board.

In other words, things seemed to have gotten back to normal in Gummi Glen. And normal also meant for her to make sure nothing broke.

"Woal'a; a masterpiece in cups! What do you thing, Grammi?" Gusto said smiled.

"I think they should be put back in the right side again before anything break!" she said to Gusto and walked over to the cauldron to prepare porridge for breakfast.

"Eh-hehe… ops! Sorry." Gusto giggled and hurried to place the board on the bench and put them on the right side again.

"And Tummi honey, no snacks before breakfast, you know that wery well!" she said to Tummi.

"Sorry, Grammi." The big gummi bear climbed down from the stool looking guilty.

"And Gruffi. You don't dare losing those plates." Gruffi growled as answer. He had never liked to be told what to do, and he felt it unfair to be yelled at when it was Zummi who actually were the one playing with the plates.

"Now where's the pillow-toilers?" Gusto said when he was to walk out with the board, cups put properly on place now.

Grammi folded her hands and shook her head smiling. "I didn't have the heart to wake them up; they were so adorable where they slept. Besides, it seemed like they needed it."

"No wonder." Gruffi said as the last plate landed on the bunch he held. "I heard them talk until long after midnight."

Gusto turned to Gruffi. "Oh come on, Gruffamondo. They haven't seen each other for two years. It's no wonder why Cubster wanted Cav a few hours for himself."

"A few hours? They were talking till half the night, laughing like they were still cubs! I heard them laugh like three years old cubs talking about magical giants." Gruffi complained when he was to walk out of the kitchen with the plates. "They're grown now, and should act thereafter!"

Grammi, suddenly getting a worried expression on her face, walked over to him and took his shoulder gently as he was going. "Gruffi dear, try not to let your annoyance over at Cavin now. I think it would be better is we're a bit patient with him at the moment."

"I thought he got it all cleared out last night?" he huffed said a bid sarcastic.

Zummi headed over to them, seeing an argument building itself up. "No, Gruffi. I think Rammi's gright…, er-no, Grammi's right. He did act a bit weird yesterday and I'm afraid that currently he might be… a little unstable. It would be safest to take one step at the time."

"You don't think he's gotten crazy, do you, Zummi?" Tummi asked with a sudden concern I his eyes.

"No no, he isn't crazy, Tummi." Zummi hurried to say and smiled to calm him down. "But he has been through a lot while he has been gone, with experiences beyond our imagination. He might have horrible memories from it" He touched Tummi's arm. "War is an ugly thing, and Cavin has seen a lot of it."

"Remember when Bane attacked? Buildings being destroyed, prisoners were taken and all that?" Gusto asked with his joking voice. "Somethin' like that, 'cept even worse."

Tummi lowered his look. "Oh."

Gruffi moaned. "Fine! But I'm not gonna let them sleep all day. Cubbi was to help me in the quick-tunnels today, and he's not getting to take liberties of getting away with it just because Cavin is home again."

"No problem, Gruffaruff." Gusto smiled. "Now that Cav's here, he might help out too. Then you hit two flies in one; they get quality time and you get your work done."

"Sure." Gruffi snorted.

Gruffi could be quite stubborn when he had an opinion, and after putting the plates on the breakfast table he went to wake up the boys. But when he reached Cavin's room and opened the door, all Gruffi could do, was to stand there, watching the two of them. The young human was sleeping peacefully with his arm around the pink gummi bear, who had crept tight into his chest. Except from Cavin's 'facefur', it was just like seeing them when they were cubs.

Grammi was right, they were… adorable.

Out of yesterdays event Cavin's face looked peaceful and calm with a slight sleeping smile while his chest, which had gotten quite hairy too, moved slowly up and down. Gruffi was surprised when she saw the human's chest case and shoulders. He really wasn't as big as his garments had made him look. He had grown muscles, that was sure, he was bigger than he remembered; but he was far from Igthorn's size, and thank goodness for that. He had always had a slim figure and Grammi had often been worried about the fact that he didn't put on much weight; but considering Grammi's cooking it was no doubt that one could stay slim. Lucky lad who lived in the Castle.

Cavin had always been embarrassed that he didn't grow bigger, but Sir Gawain said that it was a feature in the family; he hadn't been much muscular, and Cavin was no exception. Besides, Cavin had been one of those wild children who never stayed calm for too long, always active, running from one adventure to another if he got the opportunity. Just like Cubbi.

Gruffi moved his eyes over to Cubbi. He had always wondered how Cubbi had managed to be so trusting to the human; he had never felt safer than in Cavin's presence. But seeing them like this gave Gruffi a feeling that Cubbi felt a safe because he knew that Cavin would defend them if something happened. They had made friends with an enemy.

Gruffi looked away when he got that thought in his head. He had never really thought of Cavin as an enemy, but more like someone who could expose them. He had been a child when they first met him, and in that age it was normally hard to keep things a secret. But no; Cavin had been the most eager one to keep the secret about them. He had even kept it from his Grandfather, even though he knew how much it meant for him.

Just the thought of the old man made Gruffi move his gaze to the painting at Gawain and young Cavin. He walked inside so he could look closer at it. He stood like that while he looked at Cavin at the picture before looking at Cavin sleeping and then back at young Cavin again. The boy at the picture was- well, a boy, while the boy in the bed… was not. That Cavin was a man, a full grown human, but still; their Cavin. Gruffi thought it was weird how they had gotten used to having a human walking around in the Glen like it was all natural. But it was natural now. It was almost unnatural that he wasn't there. He was just as much a part of Gummi Glen like any of them. It was just like a piece that had been missing a long time without no-one really knowing that it had belonged there.

And they had missed him terribly.

He looked back at young Cavin with a nostalgic look in his eyes. Their little boy had been out there, in war, with brutal humans that were willing to kill each other for a piece of land no-one even lived in, but that a sly King insisted that belonged to him. Imagine that they could make a war out of such a tiny issue. Gruffi remembered Sir Gawain's stories about the battles he had been in and how it went; it 'hadn't been a pretty sight' to quote the old man. Gruffi didn't like to think of what Cavin had been through, Zummi's words were ringing in his hears, and Grammi's worry for his health last got over at him when he saw his chest case, that was now, together with his arms, covered with hair. It must have been the cold winters which had done that to him. During wintertime they always got a little more fluffed up. it was a natural phenomena with all kind of furry creatures. It must have been really cold out there if Cavin had gotten all that hair on his body.

He couldn't help but looking at Sir Gawain too. He hadn't been too much comfortable with the old man in the beginning, but he had changed his opinion about him after he had managed to save the medallion from Lord Wilaby. He had been too much talking for Gruffi to enjoy company with, though he had been grateful for all his help rebuilding the Glen. They could never have done it without their help. Suddenly, he wished he had told him.

Gruffi sighed as he left the room. Neither he had the heart to wake them up like this and let them continue sleeping like they were. As he walked down the hallway, he sniffles and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. Embarrassed over his own reaction he grumbled and forced himself to think of something else.

Cavin and Cubbi didn't appear until lunchtime. Grammi went to have a look at them some hours later, and found them getting dressed. Then Cavin had asked, to Grammi's surprise, for some boiling hot water. And when they both entered the kitchen where she was washing clothes, Grammi understood why. She smiled brightly when she got to see that the human had shaved off his beard. Without it he looked more like the little boy he had once been. But his face had changed; modeled into a more mature version of his child face. He was now wearing a green tunic with a leather lace in the neck that Grammi remembered he had left behind in the Glen when he left, and a white, clean shirt under it. He looked so different, and yet not.

He had changed a lot by the time; just like a young swan does from spring till fall; not that pretty to look at when it was on its youngest, but beautiful when it reached its grown age. That's what had happened to Cavin by these two years. Before he left he hadn't been that much to look at; a cute boy, but skinny and with a teenage boy's head covered with pimples. Now his face, and his body, changed into a man; a handsome, good looking young man.

"Now that looks more like our boy!"

"I thought it was better that it got off." He chuckled and touched his cheek.

"Now come here, let me have a look at you." Grammi demanded. He obeyed and walked over to her and knelt down to her so she could look at him. She touched his face while smiling with sparkles in her eyes and her voice was moved when she spoke. "Why, look at you; so handsome and beautiful. And your hair! Oh Cavin darling, you look just like a Prince from a fairytale!"

Cavin's face became red from her words and chuckled. "Aw, Grammi. Stop joking." He said slightly sarcastic.

Grammi chuckled and held his cheeks with both hands. "Oh, but I mean it, honey. Don't be so hard on yourself. Have you looked yourself in the mirror lately?"

"I kind of had to when I shaved myself." Cavin laughed. "What time is it? It's gotta be far over noon."

"It IS noon I think. Did you sleep well then? You two were sleeping like you were in winter habilitation." She said.

"Feels just like I have." Cubbi and rubbed his eyes.

"I slept better than in a long time." Cavin said. "If it was up to me, I would have dropped the blanket and had you all in bed instead."

Grammi chuckled and went to the oven and prepared some bowls. "I've saved some breakfast for you."

Cavin and Cubbi sat down on one of the small chairs by the little table. "I should have woken up sooner. I have to be off at the Castle as soon as possible."

"You're going no-where before you've eaten something." Grammi said and gave him a bowl of porridge. He smiled at her and started eating immediately to satisfy her.

"Do you know where Gruffi is, Grammi?" Cubbi asked as he got his porridge. "I promised to help him with the quick-cars, but I haven't seen him."

"Gruffi desided to let it wait and went to Ursalia to tell Sunni and the Barbics that Cavin is back. He'll return soon." Grammi said and chuckled. "Unless Calla will keep his attention."

Cavin choked on his food and coughed a little before looking at Grammi. "What? Is Calla in Ursalia? Heck-why didn't anyone tell me?"

Grammi's expression quickly changed and she covered her mouth in a gasp. "Oh dear…" She shook her head before looking up, with rather guilty eyes. "I'm sorry. We forgot to tell you…"

"Tell me what?" Cavin asked. "What's going on?"

Grammi looked away a moment before looking back at Cavin again. "It's just that Sunni… named her daughter after Calla."

"Oh… she did?" Cavin lowered his look back at the porridge, but without really looking at it.

Grammi regretted her thoughtlessness. She knew what the name might do to him. He had seemed like his old self again this far, but now he got the distant look in his eyes back. He stopped eating, the spoon sunk down on the table and his hand.

"Is everything alright, dear?"

Still staring down in the porridge, he drew his breath and sighed heavily and lowered his head, closing his eyes as he opened his mouth. "I'm… not sure if I want to go."

Grammi gave him a smile of compassion. "But you don't have to go at once, you know. If you want to you can stay for another night."

"Yeah!" Cubbi smiled exited. "Then we would get time to go to the old training room and beats some ogre machines!"

Cavin had difficulty with swallowing another spoon of porridge. "I don't think King Gregor would like it if I let him wait too long. He's expecting me there as soon as possible."

"Bah!" Grammi snorted. "If he's waited a couple of months, then he'll sure manage to wait another day." She went back to the laundry again with a certain extra power in hand. "King or not, he can't expect people to overlook their own needs just because it's HIM who's giving an order!" she huffed.

Cavin sighed heavily and put the spoon down. "Still… he is the King." Cubbi looked at him and took his hand, making the human look back at him with empty eyes and squeezed his paw gently. They looked each other in the eyes a moment, before Cavin closed them and bowed his head. Cubbi looked up at Grammi with helpless eyes.

Grammi dropped the laundry again and looked at him before turning her eyes towards Cavin again with concern. Without the beard, he looked once again like a little boy; a child who needed comfort. It pained her to see him so far down. She wished he had been smaller so she could wrap her arm around him and hug him until he felt better. Instead she walked over to him, took a grip on his left shoulder and lifted up his cheek and started stroking his face. "Honey, listen to me; do whatever you think is right. But remember that no matter what you do, you're not alone. We're here for you!"

Cavin smiled back and grabbed her paw in his strong fist. "I know, Grammi." Then he wrapped his arm around her and gave her a light, but steady hug, causing her to giggle.

Just then, they got joined by Ranni. He got excited to see Cavin up and run over to him, but he stopped when he saw that the beard was gone.

Cavin smiled when he saw the cub walk up to him. "Hello, Ranni. Do you recognize me?"Ranni nodded and smiled relieved. "Am I not so scary now?" he asked.

Ranni got a superior expression on his face. "I wasn't scared, not at all!"

"No, I'm sure you weren't." Cavin got off the chair and knelt down to him. "I bet sure you're a lot braver than you look."

"That's not what momma's saying." He said.

"Oh?" Cavin arched his eyebrows curiously. "What is she saying then?"

"Not much." The cub shrugged. "She's mostly shouting."

The comment made them all laugh. Ursa was respected for her leadership, especially bv Cavin, but her temper had been the center of a laugh for years.

But Ranni quickly became serious again when they calmed down. "And she says I'm not gonna be a good Barbic." He looked down, like he realized what he had just said and got ashamed of it. but like most children, they don't always think before they speak.

"So she says that?" Cavin took his shoulder. "She said that about me too, and I passed the test of bearhood."

"You did? YOU did THAT?" Ranni looked at him with a mix of curiosity and disbelief. "But momma says humans should be chased away."

"Don't listen to everything she says, Ranni. Sometimes you need to have opinions of your own." Cavin said and lifted Ranni up with his hands, racing him high over the floor as he rose up to his full height. At the first the cub looked stunned, but then he whined of joy.

"WOOOW!" he flung out with his arms like a bird. "Look Grammi, I'm hiiiigh!"

Grammi chuckled and looked up at him. "Yes, honey. You're really high up now."

"Yes, and now you're flying!" Cavin said and started running slow around the room while he held Ranni out in the air in front of him. The cub got even more excited and started wining out loud in pure joy.

Grammi got a little worried a moment that Cavin would stumble into something and lose the grip on the cub. "Oh, goodness! Be careful!" Cavin didn't lose Ranni or stumble, but he must have seen her worry, because he lowered his speed and at last he stood all still and just flew the cub around on the spot he stood before at last placing him back on the floor.

"You lunatic, that's what you've always been!" Grammi said to Cavin, but she wasn't angry. Instead she had to laugh when she saw the comical face expression on Ranni, who was now so dizzy he fell on the floor, but at the same time overjoyed.

"Thatwafunny!" he shook his head. "Can we do it again?"

"Ranni?" Grammi said to him.

"Oh, eh…" Ranni looked back at Cavin with appealing eyes."Please?"

But Cavin laughed only laughed at him. "If you behave nice the next time I'm coming around, then sure we can take another ride."

"Yeay…oh." Ranni's smile disappeared… "Are you gonna leave already?"

Cavin looked at the cub and felt a lump in his chest when he saw the disappointed expression on his face. He took his shoulder gently and looked him in the eyes. "Yes. I'm sorry, but I have to. I must meet with the King of Dunwyn. He's going to make me a knight."

"A knight?" Ranni asked.

Cavin nodded. "Yes, a knight. Just like Sir Cubbi here. He can explain to you what a knight is." He turned to the pink bear, who had been sitting silent most of the time, but now getting a proud expression on his face when his title was mentioned. At the same time he looked at Cavin, who blinked to him when Ranni didn't see it, and Cubbi gave him a grateful look.

"But why do you have to go there to do it?" Ranni asked.

"Because I must gain the title from King Gregor." Cavin tried to explain.

"King Gregor?" Ranni wrinkled his nose and turned to Cubbi. "Isn't it him Grammi's calling an 'idiotic, selfish son of one of Iggi's ogies?"

A gulp was to be heard from Grammi and they turned around just in time to see the soap slipping out of her hand and land on the floor.

Cubbi chuckled and whispered to Ranni. "No, it's ogres."

"Aaah."the cub said, finally getting it.

Cavin looked at Grammi with a face of confusion. "Have you really said that?"

When Grammi became aware of their looks at her, she looked embarrassed and blushed under her fur. Then she shook her head and got up from the stool again, walked over to Ranni and took his arm. At the first the cub got scared that she would spank him for what he said, but Grammi only pulled him to the side and made him look at her. "Ranni dear, go and get Sir Thornberry and tell him it's time to take his medicine. And one more thing…" She said before he got to run away and whispered some words in the young cub's ear. Ranni then nodded smiling and ran out of the room.

Cavin and Cubbi exchanged looks and then Cubbi turned to Grammi. "What was that about?"

Grammi blinked. "Wait and see."

"Hm…" Cubbi turned around and looked to the door, before looking down in his porridge again.

Cavin had noticed that Cubbi wasn't too excited about Ranni. Cubbi had explained to him by the night that he had tried to make the cub his page, but with no result. He had said that Ranni didn't understand the part with discipline and practice that followed. But for now there was no-one else he could have as an apprentice. Cavin could understand that he was disappointed. Having Ranni as a page would erase that lack of a knight's duties that had proven to be for him.

Cubbi had been excited about Cavin finally earning his knighthood after waiting for so long. Now their common dream about being knight would be true for real. The one little cut in the joy was that Cavin would get all the glory and he was stuck in the Glen. Now after a long time of training under Sir Thornberry, and after being knighted by Calla before that, he longed to take his status for a prove. Besides, both Ranni and his mother Ursa had said that a knight was nothing more than a guard, and that a title like that didn't make a hero. Those words had really pulled him down.

"_What's the point of being Sir Cubbi if I can't use my title?" he had said. "Down here I'm just being Cubbi." _

_Cavin remembered how his little friend had been feeling long ago, before Calla knighted him, how depressed he had been when it went up for him how small his chances was for having his dreams come true. Now he realized how valueless his title actually was. _

"_I'm nothing here, Cavin." he had complained into his chest. "What do people need e knight for, when there's no-one I can defend?_

"_What about putting on the mask again?" Cavin had suggested. "I'm sure the people of Dunwyn wouldn't mind the Crimson Avenger to reappear." _

_Cubbi had smiled in the darkness. Besides from Tummi, who had caught his alter ego by coincidence, Cavin was the only one Cubbi had told his secret identity to. "It would have been a good idea, but going to Dunwyn has been rather… difficult now." _

"_Really?" Cavin had raised halfway up. "Why?" _

"_Well…" Cubbi had waited a bit before answering. "Gruffi's demanding a bit more from me now that I'm not a cub anymore." He sighed heavily. "But he still treats me like I was. No-one treats me like the knight that I am." He sighed again. "I feel so… useless, Cavin! It's just like I'm not really needed here." _

_Without warning, Cavin suddenly squeezed him close into himself. It came so suddenly that Cubbi lost his breath. "oh, Cubbi! I know you have sometimes regretted that you didn't join Chummi over the ocean to find the great gummies; but you don't know how happy I am that you stayed here in Dunwyn. Cause you know what?" _

_He let go of Cubbi, who threw for his breath. "What?" _

"_I need you here, Cubbi. I need you now more than ever!" Cavin had said with low, choked voice. "You guys… this place with all of you, it's my only solid ground now. And you're the rock keeping it all from falling apart." _

_Cubbi hadn't been able to find words to say, so instead he had let Cavin hold him and hugged him back. "Thanks, Cavin!" _

_And then they had fallen asleep. _

Moments later they could hear the cub's voice again in the hallway, and shortly after he entered exited with the old gummi knight humping on his cane in his heals. "Now what is it about Cavin?"

Grammi looked at Cavin with a 'now or never' look. Now was the chance to see if he recognized Cavin or not.

Sir Thornberry came walking in and widened his eyes when he saw Cavin. "Cavin! There you are at last. I wonder what took you so long.

"Hello, Sir Thornberry. I'm glad you remember me."

"Why, of course. Cavin! Nice to have you back." He grabbed his hand and shook it violently, causing Cavin to laugh. "Your friend was here earlier… oh my goodness. I don't think I remember his name."

Grammi sighed and shook her head and Cubbi hit his forehead while Ranni chuckled. "That was Cavin." the cub said.

"Why, the hairy fella? No it wasn't him. Now where is he then?" the old gummi scratched his head curious.

Cavin snickered and understood that they got no-where with him. when Sir Thirnberry made up his mind on something, it was quite impossible to get him off it. he had lived in his own world fro too long and saw nothing else than what he saw with his own eyes. "Eh you see, Sir Thornberry… his name is also Cavin. And he had to go last night, but he told me to say hi."

"Ah! I knew it was something about him." Sir Thornberry smiled triumphing and chuckled. "No wonder Gruffi got so confused. Poor fella has go to much to do he's making a mess of people around him."

"I don't think he'd like that you told him that." Cubbi said, trying to hold back his laugher.

Sir Thirnberry blinked to him. "Oh don't you worry. This gummi can keep his mouth shot!"

"Right!" Grammi couldn't help but chuckle.

Later, Cavin stood in the forest with the gummies after getting his horse from the tavern a slight mile away. The tavern owner had been a bit confused about him just leaving his horse there and not staying for the night, but after Cavin had paid him in advance for taking extra good care of his horse, a feature he had adopted from Sir Victor, and when he came to pick him up, he got to see that his riding animal really did get the treatment he had asked for and paid him a little extra, and the owner had been so satisfied he hadn't asked anymore questions.

He found the gummies by the end of the forest, the same place where he had said farewell to them before going to war two years earlier. Zummi, Tummi, Gusto, Cubbi and even Ranni had joined him outside. Ranni was mostly curious about what a horse was and was eager, but still a little scared when he saw the big, brown creature that Cavin used as a riding animal.

"Wow, that's really a big rama!" he said and walked closer to touch it. But he jumped away as the brown horse snorted at him. "WOAH! Help, it'll eat me!" he cried and hid behind Zummi, who chuckled.

"No no, Ranni. This is a horse. It's used as a iding ranimal…-eh, a riding animal, just like ramaes." Zummi explained. "But humans are too big to ride ramaes, so they need something just a little bigger."

"A little?" Ranni stared at the horse with eyes like round balls. "It's big as a mountain!"

Cavin bent down to him. "Don't be afraid of him. He's not gonna eat you." He lifted Ranni up so he would get a closer look on the horses face. The horse was curious at the little bear and sniffed him over. Ranni clinched into Cavin's chest, but when he saw that the horse wasn't going to eat him, he finally dared to stretch out a paw to touch it at the snout. At the cubs light touch the horse gave away a low, calming sound that made him giggle and dare to pat it on real. "He is the only one I can talk to about you guys with. He's trusty, not telling a soul." Cavin said as he put him down again, and when he did, Zummi saw it again, the hesitation in Cavin's eyes. It was obvious that he'd rather wait a while longer before going through with this.

"You don't want to go, do you?" he asked.

"No…" Cavin crossed his arms and placed them on the saddle, resting his head on them as he looked at the Castle out of the road. It was a sight that always had filled Cavin with pride and joy, knowing that one day he would be there. Now it was sadness, disappointment, and fear that took the place of those feelings instead. "To be honest, I'd rather face the whole army of Igthorn's ogres, alone and without gummiberry juice. Or maybe a bunch of trolls, I don't know. Anything but this!"

Zummi touched his leg. "Cavin, listen to me." Cavin looked down at him with his eyes half closed. "For as long as I have known you, I remember you had no time to wait for the day you would become a knight. Are you really going to let such a thing cost you what you have dreamt of for your whole life?"

Cavin looked up again, and then turned his eyes down, sighing heavily before looking up again, with determinant eyes. "I know you're right, Zummi. It's just that…" he sighed and his head sank down. "If I got to the castle… I don't know if I can manage to face her. Just see her might be bad enough, what if I'll have to speak to her?"

"It doesn't have to be that bad, you know." Zummi smiled encouraging to him. "You will never know unless you try. Besides, if it turns out to be difficult then you know what to do. Remember what we talked about?"

Cavin nodded. "Mhm. I don't know when I get time. I'll have to figure out what my duties will be first. But I might give it a try."

"Good Goo…. Oh!" Zummi put his hand in his pocket and brought up something wrapped up in a piece of cloth that he handed over to Cavin.

"What is it?" Cavin asked.

Zummi shrugged. "Just a little welcome home gift. Something that'll remind you that no matter what happens, there is a place you'll always belong." He smiled. "At least in our eyes."

Curious, Cavin unwrapped it, and got a big smile on his face when he saw what it was; a golden brooch with the gummi emblem, almost alike the medallion. He looked up at Zummi. "I… I don't know what to say. You really didn't have to…"

"Oh, it was nothing. Gruffi got started on it yesterday and we finished it when you were sleeping. We had plenty of time" he chuckled.

"Thank you!" Cavin kneeled down and gave him a long hug before he fastened the brooch on his cloak on his left shoulder. Then he turned to them with shining eyes. "I will always look at you as my family. And I hope, if it's not too much to ask for, you will be there to see it when the King knights me. It will mean so much for me to have you there."

"Of course, Cavin." Cubbi said happily. "We'll be there. You bet! We'll all be there."

"Oh yes, of course we…" Just then Zummi suddenly gasped out loud. "Oh my goodness… wait wait! Cavin, there is something you have to know before…"

"Look out; human three o'clock!" Gusto suddenly cried out and jumped down from the branch he was sitting on where he kept an eye on the road beside the path.

"What?" Tummi looked up at the sun with a hand over his eyes to cover for the light. "No, it's just about two, I think."

But Cavin saw it too from above; a wagon with a peasant sitting in front of it steering his horse. "Someone's coming! Hide, quick."

Cubbi and Ranni were quick to jump into the bushes, but Zummi turned back to Cavin. "Wait! There is something…"

"Hurry, Zummarino!" Gusto said as he grabbed him and dragged him into the bushes.

Cavin covered for them while the man in the wagon closed in. The horse was rather old and it's owner looked the same; worried and drawn out. Somehow it gave Cavin a bad feeling. He seemed a bit annoyed at finding him standing in the middle of the road.

"How there, Nelly." He said and stopped the mare. "Hello there, lad. Mind if you move just a bit? I'm getting these pumpkins for the Castle and rather today."

Cavin turned to him with a smile. "I'm sorry. Sir. I thought my horse was limping, I just had to check. I'm going to the Castle myself, so I understand your hurry."

"You're not saying?" The pumpkin man's face suddenly broke up in a smile. "So what't you say; wanna come along with me and Nelly? I'm sure she won't mind, would' ya girl?"

Cavin smiled back. It was obvious that this man seldom had company for his rides the way he spoke to his horse, and he felt that he just couldn't say no. Besides, he thought, it was a good excuse for him to get on. "Sure, why not?" he said and got up in the saddle. He gave a hidden wave and an excusing smile to the gummies in the bushes besides them, and followed the man, who immediately started to talk about his pumpkins.

When they were almost out of sight, the gummies finally dared to peek out and look after them. "Oh my stars, I didn't get time to tell him!"

"Relax, Zummi. What was it?"

"You know what it was, Cubbi." Zummi turned to him.

"Oh… on no!" Cubbi got as much desperate as himself.

"Oh, and now he's going to the Castle! Foolish gummi bear, why did I tell him to go?" he shook his head desperately.

"Ooopsie." Gusto said low. "This doesn't t sound good!"

"What?" Ranni pulled Gusto's shirt. "What's wrong?"

Gusto placed a hand on his shoulder. "Not now, Ran-man. Save it till inside the Glen." Then he placed his other hand over at Zummi's shoulder. "Don't worry about him, he'll be fine."

Zummi shook his head. "No, I'm not so sure, Gusto. I don't know if he'll be strong enough to handle that one thing that he is going to meet at the Castle!"

Cavin said goodbye to the pumpkin peasant by the draw bridge. He had been a fine distracter for the last fifteen minutes, but when he had mentioned his son, who he had said was finally getting married, Cavin thought they couldn't get to the Castle fast enough. It wasn't just the wedding thing itself that had bothered him. If only he hadn't asked him if he wasn't to get married himself.

"A fine young man as yourself, becoming a knight and all, must have a young maiden waiting?" he had sais with a smirking smile.

Cavin had looked straight forward when he answered. "My heart actually does belong to someone."

"Really? Well then, won't you like to marry her one day?"

"I would; if she didn't happen to be married already." He sighed, heavy and deep. "That's the price you pay for honor and glory; you'll have to watch your love marry another to save the Kingdom."

The man had first looked shocked, and then confused, but as he had thought his words over he had given Cavin a pity, compassionately look.

They had separated shortly afterwards, but Cavin had gone back into deep thoughts and stood a while without doing anything. Just the word wedding had put him back into depression again. a wave of memories passed his mind in short minutes.

The first memory was when he had been at the Glen. After helping the males in the tunnels, he had fell in the river and got wet, resulting in a bad cold that knocked him out in bed for three days. Calla had let him alone in greeving, but when she leaned this she had hurried to visit him. Just seeing her had some something to him. Something had been lost when Sir Gawain died, but the presence of Calla had had made it a lot easier to carry. She filled an empty room in his heart and somehow made him hole again. He had been just well already the next day, something that made Grammi wonder.

Besides from the gummies' comfort, it had been Calla's love that had given him the one step to go back to the Castle and get on with his life. For years they had been crushing on eachother, not telling the other because they knew what it would cause, and simply because they both had been to shy. A moment alone in the quick-tunnels the day Cavin had decided to return to the Castle, had been enough to break the walls of dignity and honor that had been so thin already; a moment Cavin would never forget. She had told him how happy she was to have him back, and he had said that now he was happy to be back as well. They had embraced each other…

And then they had shared their first, real kiss. None of them had started, it had just happen. None of them could explain what it was.

But their happiness had only lasted for a couple of months. It changed parallel with the wedding of Sunni and Buddi. They had been planning to have it in the summer, when the bummiberries had been done harvesting so they would have all the hard work done, but when they heard that Cavin had been ordered to leave by the end of spring, they decided to rush it because they both wanted him to be there. They were making it a simple ceremony in Ursalia. The Barbic's on one side and the Glen gummies on the other.

Cavin' who had been Buddi's best man, had been standing on their side with him, and Calla as Sunni's chief maid on the other. Sunni had been wearing a white dress that looked much like Calla's royal gowns, it was made of some expensive outlansish silk that had been Calla's wedding gift for her, and flowers in her hair. Gruffi had been following her up the line and gave her to Buddi, who had been watching Sunni, looking like he was going to cry at each moment. Though it was Gruffi that had been the first one to cry, and Sunni had to give him a warm, tight hug before she walked over to Buddi. Cavin remembered that Calla had also cried, awfully lot; after the ceremony he had to take her somewhere empty to calm her down before going back to give their best wishes.

But there was no wonder why she had been reacting like that. She had been so happy for Sunni's sake, and that she was getting to marry the one she loved was something she wished for her. Unfortunately, not everyone turned out to be that lucky, especially not a princess. Just a few days after the wedding, Calla had come to the Glen, soaked in tears and barely able to speak because she was crying her eyes out, and given the worst news ever. Something she and Cavin had kept to themselves to not ruin Sunni's big day.

She was getting married herself.

Her wedding had been more pompous and magnificent than the Ursalia wedding, and of course more people; but it had been a sad day for Calla. Cavin could still see her before his eyes when she had come inside the main hall in the Castle, where the ceremony had taken place. She had been wearing a beautiful dress in white silk and a corset on golden brocade; the collar she always wore on fine occasions had been twice as big and gave the impression of her title; she had been wearing the crown jewels, the crown had been splendid with the dress; her haid had been braided, as usual, and Cavin drew in the sight of her hair. It would be the last time he would ever get to see her without her hair; after that day she would be have to cover it, like all married women did. Five bridesmaids had been walking around her, all dressed in white silk, the last one had to lift up the long skirt behind her.

But she had not been smiling. Heartbroken and sad, but still with her head high, she had been walking, her face was a mask of dignity that showed no feelings. It was only her eyes that exposed the discomfort she felt about it. When she passed him, she had been looking around herself, and just a moment she had looked in his direction. Their eyes had met in a second that seemed to last forever for both of them, before she had to turn her look forward again and walk up to the priest. The gummies had been there too, hiding in one of the choirs as a support for Calla that day; even Sunni, though it was with great pain. They were all there watching when she walked up to woe the man her father had chosen for her.

Her fiancé was a Prince who had traveled far to offer his enormous fortune in exchange for her hand to marry. His people had been rich, but his kingdom had been suffering a horrible plague that had killed over half of the people. Everything he had asked for was a land for his people to live in. In King Gregor's eyes such action showed great dignity.

Calla had been mostly unwilling, but her father had confronted her that she had no other choice. It was the best from the kingdom after it had been declared an economic crisis after the first battle in the war. It had taken more rescores than expected, and Dunwyn needed all the offers they could get. Besides, King Gregor was rather desperate after getting Calla a husband. She had been offered many proposers, but had turned them all down and quarreled with her father about being forced to marry any of them without her acceptance. But now he had been taking control since she was both just a woman and a princess, she had no right to choose for herself. As both father and King, Gregor had been agreeing on her behalf that she was to marry against her will. Her father had proclaimed to the people that his daughter would get married to save the Kingdom.

Cavin couldn't help but hate King Gregor for what he had done. Besides, Calla would have said no to everyone anyhow. He couldn't really understand how he of all people could awaken the interest of a Princess. Hadn't it been for their common knowledge about the gummies, they would never have gotten as close as they had. Cavin had been just as heartbroken as her. He had been so close to go back to the dark basement he had been in after his grandfather died. Without the gummies to be there also then he might have….

But now it had been two years since they saw each other last time. How would it be to see her again. Would she have changed just as much as he had? After shaving himself that morning he had been quite surprised of the result himself. He had actually wondered if it really was himself he was looking at in the mirror.

But what about her? How would it be to see her, in a wife's veil and in the arms of another man; Cavin could barely remember his name.

And now he could barely remember what he was doing here. If another man hadn't bumped into him and apologized he would have been standing like that forever. So he strengthened up himself and started walking into town.

_Hey, I said realistic issues, I warned you; drama! __But not done yet_


	5. Meetings

_I hope this chapter won't be too short vompared to the others._

* * *

"En garde traitor, or thy shall suffer my blade of honor!"

Cavin stopped when he heard the voice speak and turned to his left to see who it was that came with the threat, and got to see a young boy standing about four feet away from him. He seemed to be about seven or eight, Cavin thought, blond and dressed in rags. But his eyes were burning to end the life of the barrel that he stood in front of. He had a wooden sword in his hand and swung it with a sort of elegance that was unusual among children mostly, jumping around like he was escaping an invisible weapon.

Seeing the boy play with such eagerness reminded him of all the times he and Cubbi had done that. Boy did they have fun at that time. For a moment Cavin got nostalgic again and paid only one eye's attention to the boy.

"Aha! Mercy, for a wooden-head like thee? Never!" The boy raised his sword in the air stepped back to proclaim his victory over the barrel and didn't see where he walked; until he bumped right into Cavin's leg.

Cavin woke up again and stepped back from the hit, laughing at his eager. "Watch where you're going." He said and bent down to catch his arm and pull him up again.

Once on his feet again, the boy spun around and looked up at him. "Eh… sorry, Sire. I didn't mean it. Please forgive me?" he said meekly with a sudden frightened look in his eyes, sinking his head down his shoulders.

But Cavin only smiled at him. "Don't worry, lad. You didn't harm me. That was actually quite a good strike you did. I'm sure a real enemy would shiver his pants off."

The blond boy quickly calmed down when he saw that Cavin didn't get mad, and smiled at the compliment. "Thank you, Sire. I'm training to become a knight one day."

Cavin smiled even brighter. "Well, then we have something in common. I am to be a knight in short time."

The boy's eyes widened and his mouth fell open. "Oh wow, you are?"

"Yes. I have been spending the last two years in the war, and now I am to meet the King."

"Oh…"

Cavin realized that he had said something wrong when he saw that the light in the boy's eyes faded, and he looked down on the wooden sword in his hand. For a moment he reminded him of Cubbi when it had went up for him that the knighthood was quite far away from a gummi bear with no ruler to give the title. It was just as far away from any ordinary village boy. He regretted that he had said it, and decided to change the subject. "But … " he coughed lightly "…first I have something important to do. Maybe you can help me?"

The boy blinked and looked up at him again.

"What's your name, lad?" he asked him.

"Eh…" The boy straightened up again. "My name is Edmund, Sire."

"Well Edmund, do you know if the tavern is still running? There's someone there I have to meet."

"Yes, Sir. My mother and I live there."

"That's great! Maybe you could take me there?"

Edmund lightened up again. "Sure, Sire!"

Even though he still had some time before he could gain that title, Cavin couldn't help but enjoying being called Sire. It made him proud just to get reminded on the fact that it wasn't much time left until it was for real. Finally he was able to look forward to it again, and he smiled.

As they walked, Cavin caught himself in staring at his surroundings. The town was quite like before, but it was obvious that too had been suffering the consequences from war. He saw houses that were closed and stores that had been shut down. Beams had been nailed up to cover the door and planks on the windows. The old blacksmith and the jewelry-maker had closed. Some buildings were even threatening to fall apart. The citizens also had a shade of the sadness hanging around them. People looked tired and depressed, like they were walking in cold rain in a dark night. Sadness was to be written all over Dunwyn.

Cavin couldn't help but feel confused. Why had it been so many people shutting down their business? It was just like the economic crisis from before he left was still going on. Things had been far better before, he could remember; what could have caused this? He would have to talk to the King about it.

As he watched Edmund walking past a street corner he found familiar, Cavin closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath and prepared himself for the sight that might meet him; and let out a sigh of relief when he saw that the old tavern was still there. It had been is Grandfather's favorite place for storytelling. He had had listeners from all over the town, young and grown, coming to hear about gummi bears. He smiled. Those were days he would never forget.

"Here we are, Sire." Edmund said proudly and ran to the beams near the troughs. "You can tie your horse here."

Cavin walked the horse to the beams and tied it up. "Thank you, Edmund. It's been so long I don't recognize myself anywhere here now. I would probably just have gotten lost if it hadn't been for you."

The comment made Edmund laugh, and it pleased Cavin to see the smile back on the boy's face. He had just met him, and he already liked the boy quite a lot. There was just something about him, his face; his hair; his whole way of walking, and way of speaking. Cavin couldn't figure out what it was, but there was something, he was sure of it. He followed the boy when he walked the stairs up to the door, listening to him tell about all the things that went on in there.

But as they entered they both, especially Edmund, got a surprise in sight. There, sitting by one of the inner tables, was a woman crying. Her dark blond hair was tied in a kerchief around her head, and exposed her twisted face expression. She leaned her head on one hand holding a cloth to her eyes while her shoulders were shaking in sobbing.

"Oh no!" Edmund's happy and exited face changed completely. He forgot Cavin and everything else, hurried over to the woman and grabbed her in her sleeve. "Mother? Mother, please don't cry. Please?"

The woman lifted her head up and wiped her face before she gave Edmund a warm look through her teary eyes and stroked his hair gently.

"Mother, don't cry. I beg you!" he said and wiped away new tears from her cheeks. "It's gonna be alright, it will, I promise."

The woman gave him a twisted smile. "Oh, don't worry about me, Edmund." She sniffled and looked down again.

It was like something hit his stomach. Cavin knew her, very well actually. He had for many years. Annie had been working with her father at this tavern as long as he could remember, being good friends with him and his grandfather. She had been especially fond of him; Cavin remembered how she always made sure he was doing alright, treating him like she was his mother, asking him of his training and about his other doing. Cavin had liked her a lot too; she had at times given him some fresh baked cookies ready when he was there. He remembered how he had hidden some of them in secret places where Sunni and Cubbi could find them when they were there to listen to sir Gawain tell stories. He knew she had always longed to have her own child, most of all, she had told him once, she had wanted a kind little boy, like himself.

And now she had Edmund. He was really happy for her.

But seeing her like that made Cavin's heart sink and he walked over to the two of them. Edmund looked half excusing, half appealing at him, desperate and unsure of what to do. So he decided to take action, and walked over to the two of them.

"Annie?"

The woman sniffled and looked startled up at him.

Cavin smiled friendly when their eyes met. "I don't know if you remember me, but I used to come here at times, along with my grandfather. The old man who always told stories, remember him?"

Annie, slightly surprised, blinked a few times before she rose up to see him closer. "Why? Can it really be… "Then a smile appeared through her tears and she took his face in her hands just the way Grammi had done earlier that day. "Cavin? Little Cavin, Gawain's lad?" she forgot her crying completely and embraced him in a tight hug, which Cavin retaliated with the same eager. Suddenly they were both laughing happily, leaving Edmund staring at them in sudden confusion.

"Oh dear, my dear lad, how wonderful to see you again!" she let go of him and let her eyes glide over him. "Oh my, you're not that little anymore." She giggled. "Oh, how you have grown. And how handsome you've become."

Again, Cavin felt the blush occupy his face and he had to laugh. "You should have seen me yesterday. My friends said I looked like an ogre with the beard on."

Annie gasped of laughter. "Oh, it probably wasn't meant in a mean way." She took his shoulders. "But it's so long since King Gregor's knights returned, why... where have you been?"

"I had some issues I needed to deal with. I'll explain later." He hurried to say. "And then I run into your son here." He smiled down at Edmund, who now seemed relieved about his mother's joy, but confused about her relations with Cavin.

"Mother, do you know him?" he asked.

Annie bent down and took his shoulders. "Edmund dear, this is Cavin. Before the war he was often visiting here with his grandfather, Sir Gawain; the man who told all the stories that you get to hear every night."

Edmund got a big smile on his face. "Oh, you mean those gummi bear stories?" he looked at Cavin with sparkles in his eyes.

"Yes darling, it is." Annie laughed and looked at Cavin again. "I've been telling him the stories your grandfather told. He's obsessed with them." Then she turned back to her son. "Edmund, why don't you go and give Cavin's horse some fresh water? I'm sure he's quite thirsty after the long journey."

"Alright, mother." He said and disappeared happily outside, leaving the two grown-ups alone so they could talk in private for a while.

Cavin smiled as he watched him leave. "Nice kid you got there." Cavin commented.

"He is." Annie sat down on the seat again, pointing to the opposite char for Cavin. "He's quite like you when you where young."

"Hm, I guess so." He chuckled. "And quite… like his father."

"He is… " the smile faded from Annie's lips. "…unfortunately."

Cavin saw how sad her eyes became and when tears started streaming down her face again, he took her hand in his. "Annie, I'm so sorry. If there's anything I can do for you, just let me know."

Annie wiped her eyes and hid her nose in the cloth while she spoke. "Oh, you don't have to do anything for me, dear. I'm just so worried about Edmund. Things are going so slow now after the war. His future seems so… unclear for the moment, and I don't know what to do. I'm afraid things might change for all of us."

"I kind of noticed that things have changed here." Cavin answered. "Houses are shut down, stores are closed; Annie, what's going on?"

"Many people have been forced to leave for work another place because of the war. The King had the taxes raced so the army could build itself up."

Cavin's eyebrown when straight up when he heard this. "But… I thought that when the Princess got married, they had the problems with money solved?"

"Most of the taxes goes to the noble ones and the warriors." A voice said, and Cavin turned around to find a plump, chubby and bold man walking out of a room. He wore a dirty apron and a towel in his hand that he dried his hands on and his round chubby face wore an angry expression. The tavern owner looked like a tired, old man, Cavin thought. "People like us aren't anything to them."

Annie sighed heavily and hid her face in one hand for a moment. "Oh, father…"

"What are'ya sit'n here for, lass? You're supposed to be on the kitchen!" the tavern owner said walking over to them with his fists on his hips.

Annie gave her father an embarrassed look. "Father, can't you see who it is?"

The man scowled at Cavin a few seconds, before he shook his head. "Oh, I see perfectly clear who that is; it's that crazy storyteller's kid. Ya won't say ya're here to tell more of those stories?"

Poor Annie looked like she wanted to cry again, but Cavin overlooked the insult and stood up smiling and gave him his hand. "I don't know, Sir. If I do, I will let you know."

Just then, Edmund appeared in the door again, and ran over to them. "Grandfather, he's going to be a knight." He said eagerly.

Annie's face broke up in a smile and she clapped her hands. "Oh, you are to be knighted at last?"

"Eh… yes." Cavin smiled at her and scratched his head modestly.

"Well, congratulations then." The tavern owner said chilly, and Cavin wasn't sure if he meant it or if he was mocking him. His grandfather had always been handling him well, but he felt quite helpless for a moment.

"You're so lucky, Sire." Edmund said with stars in his eyes glued on Cavin. "I wanna be a knight too one day, just like father was!"

"No you're not, young man!" the tavern owner said sharply to the boy. "Getting yourself killed in a wasteful battle, just like your moron of a father. That's not gonna happen to you, cause you'll never be a knight. I don't wanna hear any more talk of that, ya hear me?"

There was a silent moment in the room. The sparkle in Edmund's eyes disappeared and was replaced with tears, his bottom lip started to quaver and he turned around and ran out of the door again, almost crashing with a bunch of men that arrived just then.

The tavern owner quickly put on a big toothless smile and flung out his arms to greet them. "Welcome back, dear guests. A meal will be ready soon, my daughter will get ready something at once."

He didn't even look at Annie when he said it, and she took a deep breath and sighed to prevent herself from crying again.

Cavin looked curious at the new arrivers. They were completely strangers to him; they were tall and slim, and all of them had dark hair and a bit darker skin than the peasants in Dunwyn normally had after days in the sun. they had strange, sharp shaped faces, and Cavin could feel a strange smell from them; not dirt or something like that, but a strong oudor that made him wrinkle his nose. What hit him most was their eyes, they were so dark it looked like they were animals.

"Who are they?" he asked low.

"People from Prince Daron's Kingdom. It's quite many of them around here now." Annie said almost whispering. "They're the only reason father is still running this place; so they have a place to stay while the King is having houses prepared for them."

"Prince Daron?" Cavin asked with arched eyebrows. "Who's…"

Annie looked up at him. "Prince Daron, who married Princess Calla."

Her words were soft, but they were a reminder to Cavin and felt like a hit. "Oh… right."

"I suppose I should get on with it." Annie said before turning back to Cavin and gave him another hug. "Thank you so much for dropping by, dear. It was so wonderful to see you again."

Cavin smiled at her. "Aw, I had to. I'll see if I can come back soon. Until then…" he squeezed her hand in both his and gave her a light kiss on her cheek, "…save me a meal, okay? And a beer maybe, I think I'm old enough to drink that now, aren't I?"

She giggled stroke him over his hair. "I suppose so."

Then he walked to the door and waved to her as he went out, and Annie stood a moment looking after him before she looked down in her hand again; and had to cover a gasp when she saw the three gold coins in it. She raced her look at the door again, and felt a few fresh tears welling up in her eyes again. "Oh you blessed lad."

* * *

In the meantime, Edmund leaned to the stone wall where he let all his tears out at once. Cavin's horse had noticed him and the big brown animal had looked upon him with comforting eyes. It had stretched his snout to him, letting the boy pat him, and soon let him hold his arms around his head, clinging to him while he wept. It gave a deep sound that Edmund took for being his way of saying 'there there, it will be alright.'

But Edmund knew that wasn't true. he knew, his grandfather knew, even his mother knew although she never told. "Grampa's right, it's not for me." He sniffled into the horse's mane. "I'll never be a knight! I'll never be a hero like father!"

"You mustn't say that. Anything can happen!"

Edmund's eyes went wide when he head Cavin's voice behind him, and turned around to see him standing above him. He quickly let go of the horse's head and took a step back. "I… I'm sorry, Sire. I…" he dragged his arm over his nose and cleared his throat, but another sob escaped and he lost his words.

Cavin bent down to his level and placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's alright, Edmund. I understand."

Edmund sniffled and rubbed the tears out of his eyes with his fist, not able to look up or say anything. But Cavin lifted up his chin and smiled with a glimpse in his eye while he stroke away his tears with a finger. "Say, did your mother ever tell you about the little gummi cub who were knighted by a Princess?"

Edmund shook his head and sniffled again. "N-no, Sire."

"There was a little gummi cub who wanted to be a knight. But the cub soon learned that to become a knight he needed a gummi ruler to knight him, and there were no-one because the humans had driven almost all of them away."

"Oh…" Edmund said.

But Cavin smiled. "But when a young Princess was captured by an evil man, it was the young cub that saved her life, and as a sign of her gratefulness she knighted him her Kingdom's unseen knight, and gave him the title 'Sir'."

Edmund gasped and suddenly his eyes were dry. "Did she really?"

He nodded. "So you see, everything is possible, Edmund. You'll just have to wait till destiny strikes. One day it'll be your turn." He opened Edmund's hand and placed a silver coin in it and then blinked at him. "Thank you for talking cave of my horse."

Edmund wasn't able to say a word now either, his mouth fell open and he stared at Cavin as he loosened his horse, straightened on the saddle and got up in it. But then a smile appeared on his face again. "Thanks." he half whispered, half gasped.

"You're welcome, Edmund. I'll see you later." He said and rode ahead to the Castle, leaving the boy with large, dreaming eyes.

Cavin waved back at him and continued his road to the Castle. He hoped he hadn't given the boy too much false hopes. He knew that not anyone could be knighted, but he had been in that situation himself and knew very well what it felt like to have no hope.

_Maybe there is some way I can help him_, Cavin thought as he turned his eyes to the road.

* * *

The courtyard at the Castle was quiet for a while that day. There were birds singing peacefully in the trees and near the flower bushes the King were taking a walk with Sir Tuxford. The knight was no longer wearing his armor, but was dressed in a nobleman clothes with a red jacket and black pants and his once red hair was now threatening to become all gray. He already had a moon on the top of his head. And he was limping; he had a walking cane to support himself with and he walked slowly. But the King noticed and walked slow on purpose so he could follow.

"Don't you think the summer will be beautiful this year, Sir Tuxford?"

"Yes, Sire. I'm quite sure it will." The knight answered. But the knight noticed that the King's eyes were distant, like he was in deep thoughts. He was so uptaken studying him that he almost failed to see the trunk that appeared in his way and stumbled his foot into it and had to support himself on the cane.

The King became aware of it and looked worried at him while he held grabbed his arm. "Are you alright, my friend?"

Sir Tuxford leaned on the Kings arm and gained his balance back again. "Oh, thank you Sire. I'm quite fine." He said and straightened up again. "Never been better!" But he bit his teeth together when the leg started burning, trying as hard as he could to keep his dignity.

The King smiled and looked around and got his eyes fixed at a bench nearby. "Let us sit down for a moment, my friend. I feel a need to gather warmth from the sun while it is still up."

"As you wish, Sire." The knight said and followed his King to the bench. He was glad to sit down for a while he had to admit it, but he knew the King had done on purpose. He wasn't the same knight that he used to be, the leg had ruined everything for him. He had been forced to retire earlier than expected because of this, something that had upset him deeply.

"How is it with your leg, my friend?" the King asked carefully.

The knight sighed. "I suppose there is no secret… that I am not the same knight as I used to be. Right now I guess I am just as useful as a wagon with only one wheel." He looked down in the ground.

The King chuckled. "A wheelbarrow, you mean? Yes indeed, they can be used for many things." But when he saw that the Knight wasn't smiling, he placed a hand on his shoulder. "You shall praise yourself happy to only have a leg to worry about, Sir Tuxford." Then he looked away, up at the sky, and his eyes became distant.

The knight looked up at him and started to study his face. His eyes were distant, and the look in them was worrying. "Sire, you are lost in deep thoughts. Is there anything on your mind?" he asked, eyeing a certain hope in his own words. Maybe there still was a way he could be useful after all.

The King looked back at him with a slight smile. Sir Tuxford had been a lifelong friend and no-one knew him better than he did. "At least your head seems to be as clear as before, my old friend. You are right, I am burdened at the moment." He rested his head in his hand, leaning his elbow on his knee and moaning. "I am worried about my daughter. I cannot tell you what it is for certain, but Calla hasn't been…"

"She has changed a lot, My Lord." Sir Tuxford said. "I have to say, I had trouble recognizing her when I first saw her after my return. She has grown up quite a lot. Become more… mature, if I may say so."

"Indeed, she has." The King said low.

"And Prince Daron seems to be… quite special. I haven't known him for as long as you have had the opportunity to do, Sire, but I… I don't really know what to say. He seems to be quite liberal when it comes to the Princess. I have seen her with only a thin veil, can that be acceptable?"

"She has always done as she pleases." The king sighed and rested his elbow on his knee. " I don't really know anymore, Sir Tuxford. I'm not sure." He leaned back on the wall. "I know I chose well when I picked a husband for her, but somehow it still bothers me that…"

The knight looked at him with questioning eyes. "That what, Sire?"

The King looked up in the air again when he answered. "…that I no longer have any right to control her anymore. She is her husband's responsibility now. There is nothing more I can do. She is a grown woman now, married as well. And practically…" the King paused a moment, before he let out a heavy sigh. "…she has no longer need of me. I cannot protect her any longer."

Sir Tuxford looked at his King and friend with sad understandable eyes. Sir Tuxford didn't blame him for feeling this way. His daughter was no longer the merry little girl she had once been. King Gregor's role as a father had passed, and he felt empty because something that had been there for so long, had disappeared in such short time. Besides, it confused him that he felt the need of protecting. What could be the reason of that?

"And I am also worried, Sir Tuxford." the King broke the silence. "But… not for Calla." he sighed. "It is about Cavin."

Sir Tuxford's eyes went wide as he turned and looked at him. "But Sire, I am sure he will appear in not long. It's not long since the messenger came back, and he knows what's waiting for him."

"It is not _if_ he will arrives that worries me, because I know he will." The king said. "It is _when_ he arrives at all."

Sir Tuxford had no answer at first, and the King met his eyes with a calm expression. "I suppose there is no secret that he had… strong feelings for my daughter?"

Sir Tuxford lowered his gaze. "I… tried to talk him away from it, Sire. I really did. But I… he has also… been quite a handful sometimes. And after Sir Gawain…" he sighed. "I didn't dare to grab him too hard after that. I don't even know if the old man knew. May he rest in peace and suspense." The Knight looked towards the sky, like he hoped that the Knight could hear him in the great heavens.

The King sighed again. "It was impossible to avoid it, and I take a lot of the blame for it. I let Calla get too close to him, and the poor boy, she didn't have much trouble convincing him. Calla became so much easier to deal with when she had an agemate to spend time with. But of course; I did see it coming. That is why I tried so hard to make her befriend Princess Marie."

"Well, you succeeded; those two are as close as sisters now." Sir Tuxford marked.

"True, but…" King Gregor paused. "That did not change Calla the way I had hoped. Not did it only turn on Princess Marie, she has become almost as much daring and tomboyish as Calla after their second meeting. But…" he sighed, "…Calla stayed the same. And when Marie was not there, Cavin was... always there. The seed was planted, and the tree had already started growing. I don't understand how they got to get so close, but I fear it will be hard for him to see her near Prince Daron."

"He will have to get used to it." Sir Tuxford marked out, though his voice didn't sound convinced.

The sound of galloping hooves made them wake up from the melancholic situation, and they looked up to see a man ride through the gate and into the courtyard; and towards them. The King peered at him to see who it was; the moss green cloak flung around him as he rode, and his hair gathered behind his head. But there was something.

"Why? There he is, Sire!" Sir Tuxford's face broke up in a smile and he rose up, with certain struggle.

The King helped him up and looked questioning at him, but didn't get time to answer before he heard the rider close into them. And when he was near enough, King Gregor understood what he was talking about. He also had to smile then. "Cavin!"

The rider stopped his horse and jumped down and King Gregor and Sir Tuxford hurried to greet the lad, who was smiling as bright as he did, and suddenly there was no doubt; it was Cavin. The boy let go of his horse and went to meet him. "Sire! Sir Tuxford!"

"Oh Cavin, lad! How splendid to see you again, dear boy!" the King said as he reached him and threw his arms around him in a tight embrace.

Cavin laughed happily, feeling a great privilege in this action. The King didn't' greet many people like this and he hugged back with if not the same strength then at least the same eager. "I'm so glad to see you too, my Lord. And to be back in Dunwyn as well." As the let go, Cavin met the Kings eyes, and couldn't help but smile widely. For only a few hours he had cursed him for taking Calla away from him, but the way he looked at him told Cavin that the affection they had for each other was still there. He relized now how deeply he had missed the King. He had been like a father for him all the time he had been at the Castle.

Sir Tuxford reached them as fast as he could with limping steps. "It was about time you showed up, lad. I was beginning to worry about what would become of you."

Cavin looked for only a short second at his old mentor, before his eyes widened and then he smiled even brighter. "Sir Tuxford? I didn't recognize you at first!" he said with and hurried to him and gave him the same steady kind of hug he had given the King. The knight laughed with him before they let go. "Oh, how are you doing? Is the leg alright?" he broke into laugher. "I think this is the first time I see you in anything else than in your armor."

"It has been better, but I praise myself lucky to be alive." The Knight smiled. "We have missed you, lad. You look well, I must say."

"Indeed, lad." The King grabbed his shoulder and pulled him aside to have a closer look at him."Why? I must say, you have grown a lot in two years." He took Cavin's ponytail in his hand and let it glide through his fingers and chuckled. "You really have…"

"…changed; I now!" Cavin laughed and rolled his eyes. "You're the twelfth of a dozen people telling me that."

The King and the Knight busted out in laughter, and it didn't take long before Cavin started laughing as well.

"I've missed you guys so much. More than I've been aware of." He said before he turned around while he looked at the courtyard. "And now that I'm back in Dunwyn, I realize how much I've missed it." He sighed deeply and smiled. "It's good to be back."

"Why don't you take your horse to the stables and then you come and share a meal with us? I am sure there is a lot to be told." King Gregor said.

"It sure is, Sire." Cavin said and grabbed the horse's reins. "I'll be as quick as I can."

"Just take your time, Cavin." the king said. "Besides, there is someone in there who will be mostly happy to see you."

Cavin's smile grew even brighter back at them. "If it is who I think it is, then I can say I look forward to see him again too." He waved to them when he started walking while King Gregor and Sir Tuxford begun on their way into the Castle again.

But as they departed, none of the three were aware that they were being watched. From a window in the third floor, was a figure standing, looking down at them. Standing all silent, with one hand on the windowsill and the other grabbing the sleeve of her dress , a woman looked down at them; and as the King ad Sir Tuxford went inside again, she had her eyes glued at Cavin as he walked towards the stable.

* * *

_I suppose it was a lot of OC'es and a lot of own made ideas, but I need it for the story. Besides, you don't believe that the people at the Castle and the gummies were the only people Cavin would associate with? I just made up a couple of people that would fit for his surroundings, like the tavern owner and Annie; because Cavin did actually go to the tavern with his Grandfather, where the old man would tell gummi bear stories, and Sunni and Cubbi did go and listen. They loved his stories._


	6. Emotions

_I'm sorry for the late update. It took a lot of time to finish this next piece and I had trouble with details, as well as; I never got time to write it at all. Too long time since the last chapter, but here it is at loooooooooooooong last. And as I've said earlier, I might add some changes to it later, but at least the chapter in itself is ready. You'll get a pretty good picture of what's going on. _

* * *

Cavin had to smile when he heard the familiar sounds from the stables. He breathed in the well known smell of horse and dirt and it gave him flashbacks from when he had been in there when he was younger and had groomed and fed the horses, cleaned the boxes and other duties like cleaning saddles and polishing weapons. The stable was the place he had spent most of his time as a child, one of his most important duties as a page and a squire. And he and Cubbi had met there sometimes because it was a place where they could be alone and talk.

He walked his horse to its old box and fetched fresh hay and water for it before he heard neighing at the other side of the stable. He looked up and his eyes landed on the last box of the room. There was a white horse with black mane standing in it. It looked old, but its eyes were shining when it looked at Cavin, who got a lump in his throat when he met his eyes.

"Destiny!" he said with moved voice.

The stallion immediately neighed again, louder this time, and Cavin hurried over to it.

Destiny, Sir Victor's dear beloved horse, had been running to meet them at the battlefield, and Cavin, who knew that he was no ordinary horse, had followed him with a few other knights. Destiny had allowed Cavin to sit on his back so he could lead them to his dying sire. They had brought him to their camp, but it was too late to do anything about his many wounds. So he had weakly grabbed Cavin's hand, dragged him to him and whispered his last wish. They were still ringing in his ears and he got misty eyed whenever he recalled the memory.

"_Promise me, lad… take care of my dear Destiny? "_

"_I… I will, Sir! I promise!" Cavin had answered through a waterfall of tears. _

On his last he had thought of his horse, his dear companion on his long adventures. And he had given him to Cavin to make sure he would be alright. The horse was old now, but he could still be ridden, if not on too long and hard trips. Cavin had barely been able to look at it when they left for home, but now smiled by the sight of it, especially when he saw how it reacted on him. Cavin had been tending to him and Sir Victor every time they stayed at the Castle and Cavin had taken that job very seriously. Therefore, Destiny knew him very well now. Cavin knew he could never replace the loss of his old master, but still, the white horse stretched his mule towards him to greet him like an old friend when he closed in. It made a soft neigh to him and Cavin stretched out both hands to take the mule in his hands, practically hugging the horse gently to his own head and scratching light under his chin.

"How are you, boy?" he said gently. "Are they good to you here?"

Desteny neighed again.

"I'm sorry, but I thought it was better to let you join the knights back here to a place you knew. I already feel bad for letting the gummies wait, but I kept you waiting as well. Please forgive me."

The horse answered by pushing his mule up to Cavin's shoulder, and Cavin had to laugh as he threw his arms around the horse's neck. It felt weird to hug a horse, but he knew this was his sign of affection; and Cavin welcomed it dearly.

A rustling sound made him listen and both he and Destiny turned to the hay. "Pst! Cavin."

Cavin went closer to the talking hay and bent down. "Yes?"

"Is anyone near?" they hay asked.

Cavin looked around before he smiled down to the hay again. "Nope, no-one here. Just you, me and the horses."

Then the hay started moving again and a tiny, pink head appeared out from the straws. Cavin had to laugh when he saw him. "Why so careful, Cubbi? You've always just run out."

"Well you see…" Cubbi begun, but he stopped when he looked up. "Isn't that… Destiny?"

"It sure is." Cavin grabbed his little friend and lifted him up and over to Destiny. "You remember Cubbi, don't you, Destiny? Your sire should only have known that you were visited by gummi bears."

Destiny moved his head towards Cubbi, neighed low as he recognized him, and Cubbi giggled and stretched out his paws to pat him. "Oh boy… "

"I know. He's mine now. Sir Victor left him to me."

"He did?" Cubbi looked at Cavin again with large eyes. "Oh, Cavin…" he looked back at the horse, now with a melancholic look on his face.

Cavin laid a hand on his back and the other behind Destiny's ear and started scratching it. "But he's retired now. He'll be treated like a hero, only getting the best. And I see that the King has made sure to do so, cause he's looking well. He's a spoiled horse living on carrots and oat." He looked down in his box where orange crumbles were lying and the rest of oat in his food bucket.

"Yes, he… oh!" Cubbi gasped and turned back to Cavin. "Cavin, I came to tell you something. It's…"

"Excuse me?"

They both froze when they heard the voice calling from the stable door. Cavin turned around to see the person standing in the doorway. It was a boy with short straight red hair cut right under his ears. He wore a squire shirt with stripes on the sleeves over the simple shirt. But he had yet to have his voice changing. Cavin hurried to push Cubbi over the railing so the boy wouldn't see him. The bear fell softly down in the hay, and wrinkled his nose at the half eaten carrots he had landed in. Destiny looked down to see what the little bear was doing in his food.

"Are you Cavin?" the boy asked.

Cavin cleared his throat and tried to look natural. "Eh-hem…Yes, that's me." after so long without the gummi bears he had forgotten what a nag it was to hide them from other's.

"The King sent me to take you to your room."

"Oh, that's no need." Cavin said and was to head away. "But I'll be right there."

"But Cavin, it's important!" Cubbi hissed between bitten teeth down in Destiny's box.

"Later, Cubbi." Cavin whispered. He looked halfway to the boy and noticed that he looked weirdly at him, and he hurried to turn back to Destiny. "We'll… take that walk later, Destiny. Right now I have to go to my room and get packed out." Then he walked to the box of his own horse and grabbed the saddle bags, patted his horse once more, who was too busy with his food, and headed to the boy in the opening.

"Uhm… I'll follow you, Sire." The boy said, offering his hands to his bag to carry it for him.

"You don't have to. You can just go if you want to." Cavin said.

"Uhm, The King told me to do it anyway." The boy said, and it was clear that he wasn't intending to leave his post.

Cavin looked at him, and then shrugged. "Fine, if you absolutely want to; go ahead." He smiled overbearing to him and held out his hand for him to lead, but the boy gave him a look, obviously thinking he was strange. But then he started walking and Cavin followed.

"So what's your name, boy?" Cavin asked.

"My name is Leroy, and I am no boy! I'm a squire." He said determinantly.

"Leroy?" Cavin looked at him, giving him a smile. "You were just a page when I saw you the last time. You sure have grown. I didn't recognize you at first."

Leroy looked at him once more and stopped a moment. "Wasn't it you who always spoke about… gummi bears?" he suddenly said.

"Yes it was. Do you believe in them, Leroy?"

"I'm not stupid!" he answered as he turned around and started walking again.

_So you think I'm stupid, huh?_ Cavin thought. But he didn't say anything. He was used to being thought of as strange.

Cavin followed the boy into the corridors, and for a moment Cavin was breath taken by the sight that met him. The normally simple gray castle walls had already been replaced with the white lime walls that the new architects had recommended when they rebuilt the castle after Igthorn's damage. What surprised Cavin were all the other things that hadn't been there earlier. The fabrics that hung down from the ceiling in waves, the carpet that ran across the corridor and the décor on the walls; mirrors, the tables with costly vases. He had never seen so much decoration in the castle's corridors before.

"Is there going to be a ball or something?"

Leroy turned back with an arched eyebrow. "No, why do you ask?"

"It's just all this decoration." Cavin said. "What's it for?"

Leroy just shrugged and kept going. "There is the banquet tomorrow, but it's been that way for a while."

Cavin remembered King Gregor said something about a banquet and kept going. But an even greater surprise waited when he saw that the boy didn't walk the ordinary corridor to get to his room, but took a turn to one of the stairs.

"Hey, where are you going?" he asked.

"Your room is up here." Leroy answered.

Cavin laughed and crossed his arms. "Oh really? Are you sure you haven't confused me with someone else now?"

The boy looked down at him from the stairs, narrowing his eyes. "The King told me to lead you up here."

Cavin arched an eyebrow, wondering what the heck King Gregor was thinking of. The boy could be fooling him; he actually seemed to be the kind. Leroy reminded him of someone; of Unwin, the bully that had bothered him for years in Dunwyn, always making jokes about him and his grandfather, and their belief in gummi bears. Leroy had the same look in his eyes, he thought.

But the kid seemed determinant so Cavin just shrugged and followed.

Cavin got more and more confused when he followed Leroy up not just one, but two floors upstairs. This was the floor used by the most important members of the court. Why would the King ask the boy to send him up here? The boy kept going through another corridor and after a while, stopped at a door, opening it a little. "Here we are." He said.

Cavin arched an eyebrow as he went to the door and almost felt like his jaw was to fall don on the floor when he saw the room.

The first that met him was the white chalked walls that lightened up the room, with decorative wall carpets in several strong colors. A large canopy bed in dark wood was placed at the end of the room with curtains hanging from the top, and the flannel blanket that was placed over it was shining in the light from the large window, just like the beautiful pillows at by the head of the bed. A big chest was at the end of it, with decorative iron ornaments on it. There were curtains beside the window as well, and a carpet on the floor.

Cavin was standing like stoned. It looked like some court lady's room, he thought. It was far different from his old room where he had had piles of hay put upon each other and old weapons and shields, and it was still having its old grey walls.

"Alright, this isn't funny!" He turned to Leroy again, dropping the saddlebags on the floor and placing his hands on his hips. "I don't know what kind of a joke this is, but I've had enough of it!"

"Is there a problem here?"

Both Cavin and the boy turned around to see the King coming towards them. Sir Tuxford wasn't with him now, and Cavin guessed he had trouble taking himself up stairs with the limping leg.

"Yes there is, Sire. This boy is playing a joke on me, and I have trouble finding it amusing!"

"Is this true, Leroy?" the King turned to the boy with an arched eyebrow.

"No, Sire. I did like you told me to, but he doesn't believe me!" Leroy complained.

"It is a joke when you send me to a room that is not mine!" Cavin turned angrily to the boy again.

"But it is no joke, Cavin." the King said and suddenly covered his mouth. "My word, I completely forgot to tell you. One of the new young pages has taken over your old room, so we had your things brought up to this one instead."

Cavin got confused and walked in through the open door. Now, when he glanced about the room once more, he got to see the spears that had been standing up to the walls of his old room, placed nicely in a cross on the wall with the weapon shield of his family placed over it. The banners were also there, and he spotted the old sword he used to train with hanging on the wall beside the bed.

"Oh… eh… I see." He said, not too happy. This had come as a shock to him and he hadn't been prepared.

The King followed him inside, along with Leroy, who had picked up Cavin's bags and placed them nicely beside the bed. "Alright, Leroy. You may go now." The King said gently to the red haired boy, and he bowed and ran off. Then he started looking around with him. "Besides, we figured out that since you are to become a knight, it was time to give you a better fitted room."

"Uhm… sure." Cavin said monotone.

The King saw the look on his face and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I know it is a bit of a change, but just wait and see. You will get used to it." he chuckled. "Everyone gets used to a bit of luxury."

"Hehe… right." Cavin tried to smile, but discovered it was hard. So instead he walked towards the window to have a look at what he could see from up here. To his relief he had the view of the courtyard and the stables nearby, and his mood got a little bit lighter. "I… guess I could… sort of."

"Well, then there is nothing to worry about." The king said smiling. "Now get yourself a rest before the meal."

"Sure. Thanks Sire." Cavin said looking after him as he walked out the door. Then he turned to the window again, leaning one hand on the sill. It was a nice room indeed, and he liked the view; he could see everything going on outside and pay attention to whatever he'd like. He sighed and turned back. But now the gummies wouldn't know where to find him. He didn't even know if this room had any secret entrances. It made him feel isolated somehow, isolated from them. He would eventually have to warn them before they took any chances.

He sat down on the bed, and gave a startled cry when he discovered how soft and deep it was when he suddenly sank down in it, falling backwards with his legs in the air. He had to laugh of how foolish he probably looked, as he struggled himself up again to the edge of the bed again. _Cubbi would have to try this_, he thought. _He's gonna drown in this._

Cubbi! He had completely forgotten about Cubbi in the stables. He had something to tell him, and he seemed pretty eager to do so too. And he had… Cavin had forgotten, but the little pink bear had seemed a bit worried. It wasn't like Cubbi to be on guard when he was out in Dunwyn. He was normally far from careful. When he came to think of it, Zummi had also tried to tell him something in the forest, but then they had been interrupted, and he had been forced to leave without getting the message. Had Cubbi come to pass that message to him in the stables perhaps?

"Oh no!" Cavin gasped and his hands went to his head grabbing his hair. Cubbi would probably go look for him in his old room and not know that he had been moved up here. What if this other page came and saw him? "I gotta hurry!" he said short to himself before he jumped up from the bed and went to the door.

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Cavin ran down the first set of stairs in a hurry, only in mind to find Cubbi before someone else did. He regretted that he had left him in the stables, but that brat Leroy could have discovered him if he hadn't left with him. But as he kept going to the next stairs, he ran so fast that he failed to notice that he ran past a court lady, and she made a startled cry when he bumped her with his shoulder and made her trip and spin around so she lost her balance and fell. He stopped and turned around just in time to catch her, and he was lucky not to fall backwards himself. The lady quickly led one hand towards her head to prevent the tiara that covered the veil on her head to fall off and she looked around confused and angry.

"What on earth…!" the court lady cried. "You moron! Are you completely…?"

Cavin prepared himself for a long lesson from her, cursing himself for being so careless. His Grandfather, who had raised him to become a true gentleman, would have turned around in his grave in Ursalia for such manners.

"I'm so terribly sorry, My Lady. Please forgive me, I-I-I should absolutely have watched where I was… I was…"

As he looked at her face, he suddenly found himself standing all still, holding her as she leaned back in his arms; and stared back at him with wide open eyes. Her mouth slightly open in a silent gasp and her hand lost the grip on the tiara so it fell down on the stone stairs and landed five steps down and her light blue thin veil slid down her shoulders and her hand automatically landed on his chest while her other had landed on his shoulder; and now threatened to wrap around his neck.

For a while, Cavin wasn't aware of how long it took, they were both unmovable and still for something that seemed like a year; but then suddenly her face broke into a smile, and she started laughing. "Only you could make an entrance like that, Cavin."

The sound of her voice saying his name… how long he had longed to hear that again, if only for once. His shocked and embarrassed expression loosened up and became a wide smile as he spoke.

"Calla…"

The first he thought of was to hold her into his own chest and kiss her. But he soon regained his manners and started lifting her up on her feet again. "I…I'm sorry."

He didn't' know how it happened, but before he knew the word of it they had both broken into laughter. It was just like something loosened up inside of him and he laughed of joy and relief. Calla leaned her back against the railing as he held a hand on her belly. After gaining back his breath, Cavin looked at the tiara that had fallen down, went down and got it and reached it up to her. "I should have been a little more careful, I know." He said, still panting after laughing so hard. "You won't tell your father about it?"

"Don't worry. I won't tell, Cavin." Calla said and took the tiara back, still giggling. "But be careful next time. Remember, it could have been someone else."

But then, when she took the long light blue veil and placed it on her head again, his smile faded as he noticed the white silk garment she had covering her neck and her hair; only some bangs of hair over her forehead was showing. She was wearing a dress as clear and blue as the sky that had long sleeves split up all the way with thin gold boards and hanging down her shoulders, showing the arms of a lighter blue silk dress under. It looked like the dress was held up from her shoulders by two ruby broches and the blue veil that was wrapped around her neck were fastened in one of these. A belt of gold was fastened with a ruby broche around her hips, the same kind as on her shoulders.

When she also placed the tiara on her head again, Cavin thought she looked like a queen where she stood above him. But even worse, she also looked like what he knew very well, but had forgotten for a short moment, that she really was right now; a married woman. She belonged to someone else now… and not him. _That door is forever closed for you now, he thought._ This realization made the joy of seeing her again fade just as quickly as it has appeared.

She must have made the same realization because the bright beautiful smile of hers suddenly disappeared as well. She bit her bottom lip and looked down a moment. Then she drew her breath lightly, somehow straightened up and looked up again. She stepped down to him and raced a hand to his cheek, giving it a light stroke.

"It really is good to see you again, Cavin," she said lowly. "I have missed you. More than you can ever imagine."

As she touched him, he looked up and met her eyes. Hers were misty and threatened to be filled with tears. They were glued for only a second, and then he forced himself to turn his gaze down to his left shoulder, blinking away the stings in his eyes. He wanted to say something, tell her that he had missed her horribly too, tell her that she had been in his mind every day since he left for war. He wanted to ask her how she was doing, if she was happy with her life now, and how her husband was to her. Was he kind? Did she like him? Just imagining that she did made him want to... But he got no words out of his throat, only half choked sounds. It was painful enough to be near her.

"I must say…" she made a short laugh and smiled a little again. "… that for a moment I had trouble recognizing you." She lifted up his pony tail and laughed.

"Oh, eh…" He cleared his throat, gaining back his voice. "Don't you like it? Eh… I mean…"

"I like it very much." She smiled. "Cavin, you look so… grown. You've always just been a boy, but now you're…" she stopped herself and put down her hand again, sighed heavily and smiled to him. "Father did mention that you are to be knighted? It's about time."

"He said 'tomorrow night', but that's alright." Cavin shrugged. "I can wait."

"You? Wait for knighthood?" She started laughing again and covered her mouth. "You, who were so impatient to become a knight, you could barely hold yourself. You have changed after all. I'm impressed."

"Very funny." He said, but he too had to smile. They would have been doing this many years ago; she would tease him and he would just laugh and play along; waiting for an opportunity to tease her back. But there was never any harm in it, they both knew. They had been equals as young, not the Princess and the young squire; they had been a couple of children just playing.

"You too… have changed." He commented lightly.

She sighed again, shrugging. "I guess so." She looked away, and for a second Cavin imagined that he saw a shadow over her face.

"Do you still… have your braid?" he cursed himself for such a stupid question and pressed his lips together and made a sound.

But his silly outburst made her smile again. "I do, I'm just hiding it. I'm not allowed to show my hair, at least not too much at the same time." Then she changed the theme and took his arm around hers and started walking down the stairs to the first floor. "You are joining us for dinner, aren't you?"

"Yes, cof ourse… eh- I mean of course." Cavin stumbled as he followed her down to the floor below. Now he was getting nervous again, and this silly habit of speaking backwards whenever he was nervous was a feature he had involuntarily adopted from Zummi. "Yes I am, but…" he face palmed himself. "Blasted! I forgot Cubbi!" He was about to run in the other direction.

"What?" Before Cavin had managed to take a step longer, he felt that he was held back as Calla grabbed his left arm. "What about Cubbi? Is he here? At the castle?"

"He's in my room... no- I mean he's not, he… He doesn't know that I've got a room that isn't…" he moaned over his stumbling. "Never mind. I have to find him before anyone else does!"

"Cavin! Wait!"

He felt Calla trying to hold back his hand, but he managed to pull free. The only thought in his mind was to find Cubbi and warn him about the room. But again, he was careless, and as he ran past the corner, he once again crashed with someone, this time face to face. There was a 'thump' to be heard, and then both he and the other were lying on the floor. Although he had to sit up again and rub his head before he widened his eyes and noticed it was Sir Tuxford he had ran into. This time he felt even worse because of the old knight's bad leg and hurried up again and offered to help him up by grabbing his arm to pull him up. "Sir Tuxford, I-I-I… I am so, so sorry. I didn't mean… I mean…"

And as expected, Sir Tuxford looked up with a face that made him look like he had fallen from the sky. "Cavin! I should have known that…" he stopped in his own words, like they got stuck in his throat, and then he suddenly, to Cavin's surprise, started chuckling, and then laugh. "… whenever you are around, things are always a bit more noisier." The Knight let Cavin help him, but he did some of the job himself with his stick. "Sometimes I believe you would have made a fine ogre, lad."

Cavin had to laugh at the comment. "You should only have known, Sir Tuxford." Because he had been an ogre once; the worst ogre Duke Igthorn had ever had under his command.

"What is going on here?" It was the King's voice from around the corner, and Cavin supported Sir Tuxford around the corner again. He saw the King standing beside Calla.

"My, what happened, Sir Tuxford?" the King asked worried. "Are you alright?"

Sir Tuxford laughed even louder. "Cavin is back, Sire. That's all."

The King was smitten by his reaction, and they were both standing a moment laughing. Calla too was standing in the background covering her mouth with a hand hiding a chuckle, and shook her head and sent Cavin a look that made him smile foolishly and blush.

"Now, what was the hurry this time, lad?" Sir Tuxford asked placing his hand on Cavin's arm, and Cavin bit his lip to find a good explanation.

"Eh… well, you see… I was… you see…"

"Whatever it is, it can be arranged later, lad." Sir Tuxford said patting his shoulder.

"I imagine you were a dangerous weapon out on the battlefield, Cavin." The king was still chuckling when he spoke. "I was to send up someone to tell you the dinner is ready, but now we can all go directly to the hall and fill our bellies." he joked.

"A splendid idea, Father." Calla said smiling.

"But Cubbi…" Caivn whispered. But Calla interrupted him.

"He already knows, Cavin." Calla whispered fast back before she turned forward again with straight head. The King turned to her and offered his arm to her, and she lifted up her long dress and started walking with him.

Cavin's fear was immediately faded, and was replaced with a feeling of foolishness. Of course, he should have known that Calla would have let him know that. How stupid was it possible to become? He would eventually have to go back to the Glen later to hear what Cubbi had to say.

"Now Calla, where is your husband at this day? I failed to notice him at breakfast."

"He was not there, Father." Calla answered lightly. "It is as simple as that."

"Yes, I understand that, but where was he?"

Calla shrugged lightly. "Don't ask me what he is doing, Father. He never tells me about his business. Besides Father, you always tell me that I should stay out of the men's affairs; and that is simply what I do. That's what he wants, that's what you want, and I thought you would be satisfied with that. What in the heavens name am I doing wrong now?" She sounded sarcastic at the last words.

"Eh… alright." The King coughed. "I do know he can be occupied at times."

Cavin tried to block his ears at the speech of Calla's husband and looked down at the floor, tried to concentrate on something else instead, like his boots. But as they walked, he felt a strange itching on his left hand, and started scratching it with the other, but then arched an eyebrow and looked at it. He arched his eyebrows when he discovered that it had scratch marks on it, like a cat had put its claws on him. It wasn't bad, but he wondered where he got it from.

No, it had been no cat, but… Calla. He remembered; she had held his hand when running down, he had been dragging himself free from her grip in desperation… and she had held him back, probably scratching him with her long nails.

But that she scratched him this hard?

He arched an eyebrow as he looked up at Calla again, being guided by her father. She looked a bit worried; as she turned her head slightly back and looked in his direction, he could see it in her eyes. It was almost like she was… on guard. He guessed that it was because she, like him, was afraid her father would suspect anything about them. He hurried to look away. No need to make anyone suspect anything. He turned his head towards Sir Tuxford, and noticed that the elder knight was looking at him, and he hurried to smile to prevent any suspicion.

"I hope that I didn't do any harm on your leg, sir Tuxford." he said. "I'm incredibly sorry about that."

The knight seemed a little startled by the question, but smiled back and chuckled. "Oh, don't worry about it. Just watch it from now on, alright? Besides, I should be glad I am alive at all, thanks to you, lad."

Cavin froze a moment in panic, then grabbed his right shoulder and stopped him as he whispered between clenched teeth. "Hush, Sir Tuxford! You promised you wouldn't mention that!"

Sir Tuxford stopped. "I did?" he asked and arched an eyebrow, but then he suddenly widened his eyes and covered his mouth. "Oh… yes, I did, eh…" he turned towards Cavin and looked at him with apologizing eyes. "I'm sorry lad, I completely forgot."

King Gregor and Calla stopped too, when they noticed that the two others were falling behind, and the King turned around. "Is everything alright, Sir Tuxford?" he asked.

Sir Tuxford coughed and chuckled to cover the embarrassing moment. "Eh… I just happened to stumble, Sire. Nothing serious. Silly me." he chuckled.

The King smiled back and they slowly started walking again. The King and his daughter went ahead and Sir Tuxford and Cavin were falling a bit behind on purpose. After making sure they weren't able to hear them, Sir Tuxford took a step closer to Cavin, while whispering. "But honestly, Cavin, why would you not tell it to the King? I am certain that he will give you a medal for what you did."

"Then an even greater reason why it should remain a secret, a secret you promised to keep! And a knight never breaks a promise." Cavin said without looking at him. His voice was quite strict, maybe a bit more than he had intended, because Sir Tuxford almost shirked beside him. Cavin regretted that he had been so hard and looked back at him, with a softer look. "I'm sorry, Sir Tuxford, I… Could we just please take this when we're alone? Not now?"

His old mentor looked back at him and smiled again. "That's alright, Cavin." then he chuckled and shook his head. "Why, you have always been a bit odd, and full of secrets. I have to admit that sometimes I don't understand you."

Cavin had to laugh a little himself. How many times hadn't Sir Tuxford wondered where he disappeared to at times, and how he sometimes seemed to be hiding something? More than once he had shaken his head over him, wondering 'if his head was in place' like he had said it once, but then he had also been proud of him more than once as well.

The corridor ended, and two guards opened the door to the dining hall to them. A table had been readied for them, covered with a purple table cloth with golden patterns. Large plates with a fried chickens decorated with vegetables, potatoes with herbs chopped over them white bread in baskets and mugs with butter and honey. Cavin had to admit that compared to the stew and porridge that Grammi made this was paradise on earth, and he felt how the hunger was digging its way into his belly, along with a sting of guilt since he had missed Grammi as much as he had and she had put so much in pleasing him. Though he also had the rotten bread and the hard dried meat from out in the war fresh I memory too, and he had to struggle not to just grab the thigh of one of the two chickens and eat immediately. But he knew his way; he had yet to be knighted, and until then he was to wait till the others had sat down. He went over to the King and was about to pull his chair out, but then he felt the King's strong hand above his own. As he looked up at him, he smiled and shook his head.

"Put duties aside now, my boy. This is not a day for work."

Cavin lost his tongue, but got even more surprised when the King led him and practically pushed him down in the chair at his right hand. Cavin was overwhelmed and widened his eyes; that chair was normally for highly honorable guests or close friends of the royalties. He had normally sat beside Sir Tuxford to serve him or even once in a while beside Calla when they were children. But never in his life had he imagined that he would get this honor. He looked over at the other side, where Calla had already taken place by her father's left hand, her normal place. Her eyes were smiling at him, she had to control herself to not laugh at his reaction. He got to himself and noticed that he had his mouth open, and closed it immediately. Not before had he done so, then Sir Tuxford sat beside him at his left, and he too seemed to enjoy his surprised reaction. He turned to the King, who also smiled, and then he felt a slight blush appear on his cheeks and was forced to smile as well.

But he didn't get more time to think of it. The King folded his hands, bowed his head down, and they all followed his example as he started praying for the food. During the prayer, Cavin was terrified that his belly would start making noise before the King had finished his prayer. It felt like ages before he finally raised his head and took the knife and started cutting the chicken.

For a while the conversation was light, and the King asked Cavin a lot of questions about his time in the war, quite the same as the gummies had done, only without a worried Grammi to feel sorry for him. Now it actually started to get boring, but then he got alerted when Sir Tuxford took over and started talking about how Cavin had led his little group into a surprise attack in the enemy's army. Cavin looked at him, but the old knight gave him a look and a short smile that said; _I won't tell_.

Cavin knew that Sir Tuxford questioned his decision, but Cavin had insisted. There was this little event, an action that Cavin felt happy for doing; but at the same time he felt great shame. He had saved Sir Tuxford from death, yes he had. But the way he had done it made him feel awful. It was a terrible action he could never forgive himself for.

"By the way, lad…" Sir Tuxford drank from his mug to swallow the food before finishing his sentence. "I hear your new room didn't fall in taste?"

Calla had to laugh. "It didn't? Goodness, why is that?"

Cavin woke from his thoughts and shook his head. "Eh…"

"I met Leroy down the hall, and he told me about your reaction. Pretty much an overreaction if you ask me." The knight chuckled.

Cavin could only laugh along shortly before he answered. "Eh… honestly-not that I'm not grateful, but I… I liked my old room. It was… simple. Besides I… I'm not used to all that fancy decorations and stuff..."

The King started laughing too. "What is this? I believe you're the first man I've ever met that would prefer a stable before a silk bed."

"How am I supposed to know that? I've never slept on silk before." Cavin explained.

But all the three others broke into laughter.

Cavin smiled sarcastically. How could the King and the Princess ever know how he felt about this? They had grown up in silk and decorations. A life without it was beyond imagination for many of noble birth. Even Calla, he knew. He remembered when Calla had dragged him out in the forest to play, and it had started raining. Despite her trying to be tough and proud, she had complained a lot about being cold and hungry and wet and wanting to go home. Peasant life was far from what she had been used to.

"If it was up to me…" Cavin said, dragging off another piece of bread, "…I'd preferring sleeping in a bear den instead. Out in the forest."

Calla almost choked on her drink and had to cough as both King Gregor and Sir Tuxford burst out in loud laughter. The king even slammed his fist on the table, making his cup jump up and land so the liquid flew up in drops.

"I think I can see it. You, going into hibernation in winter in a hole in the ground."

"Not all bears go into hibernation, you know." Cavin answered. "I bet gummi bears never did."

"Cavin, Cavin, Cavin…" Sir Tuxford gasped as he wiped away a tear, still laughing. "Have you still not gotten over these gummi bears of yours?"

"Nu-uh!" Cavin smiled and proudly shook his head. "I kind of promised Grandfather to keep those stories he told going… and the faith in them alive."

"Poor old Sir Gawain. I feel sorry that he never got to see his grandson getting his knighthood." The king said with melancholy in his voice. "May he rest in peace, Sir Gawain." He raised his cup in a toast for Cavin's Grandfather, and Cavin wasn't late to follow his example, but he was just as quick to drink afterwards.

Cavin wasn't too proud of the lie he had been forced to tell the King and Sir Tuxford after his grandfather died, but he had no choice. They believed that after Sir Gawain realized he was close to death, he went on a pilgrimage where he would be given a place among the greatest. Cavin had been forced to tell this since he had been buried in Ursalia; though in Cavin's eyes, Ursalia was the most sacred place he could imagine his Grandfather to be buried. Only Calla knew this beside him. After all, in the absence of the King the knight had been serving, Calla had been the one that put down his sword on his chest before they buried him.

"Speaking of gummi bears, where did you get this from?" Sir Tuxford said, pointing at Cavin's shoulder. "This looks quite alike that medallion you used to walk around with as a child."

Cavin looked down and noticed again the broche that the gummies had given him hanging on his cloak. "Oh, this? eh… some friends had it made for me when I returned."

"So that's what kept you occupied?" the King said smiling. "You were too busy spending time with your friends."

"I kind of had to let them know I was alive. They were really glad to see me." He had to chuckle when he thought of how the gummies had greeted him. "Besides I…" he knew this would come. He had planned to figure out how to explain his absence for the King, but in all that had happened that day it had slipped out of his mind. He drew his breath and looked up at the King. "I am sorry for keeping you waiting, Your Highness. But… I had my reasons for staying away. I just can't…" Cavin turned his eyes towards Calla, in hope that she maybe would help him a bit. But he stopped speaking when he noticed she was leaning down with her head bowed. She had a hand pressing towards her chest. A sudden worry stroke Cavin and he forgot himself for a short moment. "Princess, are you alri…?" he stopped himself, remembering that he shouldn't cause too much attention about the two of them.

But the King turned to her as well, and he got a worried look on his face. "Calla dear, are you feeling unwell?" he asked and stretched a hand towards her.

Calla looked almost startled when her father's hand touched her shoulder. But then she blinked, drew her breath, raising her head again in a sigh and opening her eyes to him again with a smile. "I am, father. Honestly. But I…" she rose from the chair. "You must excuse me. I just remembered that I have thousands of things to prepare before the banquet tomorrow. Several other guests will be arriving this afternoon, and their rooms must be prepared. You know how Marie wants everything to be perfect, Father, and King Jean-Claude isn't easy to please either." She looked at the others. "I am sorry gentlemen, but I must leave you now. Good day, Sir Tuxford." She nodded at the old knight, and then she turned to Cavin with a smile. "Welcome home, Cavin." and then she turned away towards the door, intending to leave.

The King suddenly rose from his chair and went after her before she reached the door. Cavin was about to stand up, but he felt a hand on his arm, and turned to Sir Tuxford, who gave him a strict look.

"Wait Calla! Let me walk you upstairs, dear." King Gregor said as he grabbed her right hand and wrapped it around his arm. Calla rolled her eyes and gave a short moan.

"Oh father, don't interrupt your meal just to walk me upstairs. I will manage."

"No no, my daughter. I insist! Please gentlemen, continue without us." The King said as he started walking towards the door, and Calla was forced to follow, with quite dismay. Cavin and Sir Tuxford had been about to rise up along with them, but as the king and the Princess left the room they didn't know what else to do than to sit down again.

Cavin looked at Sir Tuxford, who bowed his head and suddenly he seemed older than ever. He almost seemed sad for some reason. "Is… everything alright, Sir Tuxford?" he asked carefully.

His old mentor drew his breath deeply and gave a deep sigh. "No-one eats if the King isn't present." He said.

Cavin looked down at his own plate; he still had a chicken piece and a half eaten bread to finish, but he suddenly noticing he had lost his appetite. In a way it felt like all the lovely food had gathered up inside into a big lump in his belly, like he had gotten too much of Grammi's stew. Had he been eating too much? No, there was something else, something he didn't like to admit.

He worried for Calla. For a moment, when the King had spoken to her, he had seen something in her eyes, a glimpse of something. It lasted only a short moment, but Cavin was pretty certain that he had seen a glimpse of… fear. Calla, being afraid? It just didn't fit. Just a few minutes earlier she had been smiling and laughing and the next she seemed like she was in panic. What could possibly have changed her attitude so drastically?

Was it because of him?

He turned to Sir tuxford. "Sir Tuxford, is the Princess alright?"

The Knight looked up at him with a crossed look. "Cavin, please. This is not of your business."

Cavin bowed his head. "I was just asking. She looked…"

"Cavin, don't worry about the Princess." The knight said strictly.

Cavin felt how he got frustrated of not getting the answer he wanted. "But why wouldn't I be worried for her? She's my friend, you know…"

"Enough now, Cavin!" Sir Tuxford turned to him with a strict and also angry look on his face. "For as long as I remember, you have always just rushed out before thinking. Before she got married I tried to talk some sense into your mind about the way you were acting in her presence, but it appears that I have to be a bit harder to you now. You have to realize that even though you and the Princess used to look at you as an equal, things have changed and the relationship the two of you had cannot be the same. I know you had certain feelings for her, but she is married and that means that you cannot talk to her like it pleases you, when you please. And if you still want to become a knight, I suggest that you start to think before you act and get control of your feelings. Now look at me when I'm speaking, lad! Are you understanding what I am saying?"

When Sir Tuxford spoke, Cavin had slowly turned his face away, not being able to face his eyes during the confrontation and closed his eyes. But now he noticed that it was almost worse to listen to him in the darkness, because the words did something to him. He started to feel a sort of anger grow inside and build up. Just when the old knight was finished with the last sentence, Cavin suddenly rose from his chair in such a way that made Sir Tuxford almost jump away in his own seat and stare at him with a startled and deranged look on his face.

He wanted to say something; something that would hurt, something that would sting, something that would make him understand how he felt himself; he felt stomped on, stabbed, like someone had nailed him towards a wall and held him there. He felt mistrusted, humiliated and angry.

But instead, Cavin turned his heel and stomped his way towards the doors and pushed them open with both hands and marched out of the hall with his cloak floating behind him, without saying a word.

But words weren't needed. Sir Tuxford had seen the pain in his eyes, and his actions said enough. His own frustration faded and he sank down in the chair, laying his head in one hand with a heavy sigh.


End file.
